Fans of New York presents: Jeff Castaneda’s Brooklyn Nets Fandom
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, I used to tell people growing up that I would never date a girl from New Jersey or live there. However, as the saying goes, never say never. In the early 2000s, I moved to New Jersey because of love. I fell in love with a woman from Jersey who would eventually become my wife and the mother to our children. We fell in love with the Nets as a family. That’s right. This native New Yorker found his heart, his home, and his basketball team in the Garden State.
In the late ’90s, I flirted with the idea of going steady with the Nets as I watched them battle Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Playoffs. However, it was the combination of two factors that cemented my Nets fandom, moving from New York to New Jersey and Jason Kidd’s arrival to the team during the 2001 season. One of the first associations I had with Jason Kidd was a quote that I saw from him in the newspaper. “The losing is over. It will not be accepted any longer. Nothing that has happened before right now matters. Absolutely nothing. You work hard, you stick with me, you sacrifice and you do what’s best for this team, and we’re gonna win. Nothing else is acceptable.” I knew something special was possible because of that mentality, which he talked about before playing a game in a Nets uniform. Certain players can define the culture of a team and ultimately be the catalyst for newfound fandom. Jason Kidd was that player for me. Seeing him orchestrate the pace of the game through no-look passes and alley-oops off the backboard against the best teams in the league was an extraordinarily thrilling yet cerebral brand of basketball.
The mentality of this era of the Nets and the aspect of the team being overlooked resonated with me as a Filipino. My experience growing up as a Filipino-American in the United States varied a bit from my other Asian friends because our visibility and presence may not be as easily identifiable. Not many know about Filipino culture as well and many of our last names have a Spanish origin so there would always be questions about where I was from. Growing up there were hard moments to deal with like being called racist names and having racial slurs said to us referencing other groups, as people had never even heard of “Filipino” before. In those moments, I felt truly invisible.
Filipinos have often been labeled as the “forgotten Asian-Americans.” If you know anything about us, our hearts, our values, and our families lie at the core of Filipino pride and identity. So when we feel underrepresented and unaccepted, we will fight to prove our worth, to be seen, heard, and prove doubters wrong. This is why the Nets resonated with and inspired me so deeply all these years. Kidd’s leadership, otherworldly court vision, and undeniable will to win helped transform an often forgotten team to become a respectable franchise.
This relationship between my Nets fandom and Filipino pride continues with being able to attend annual Filipino Heritage Night events hosted by the (now Brooklyn) Nets. Seeing Filipino culture, talent, and families represented at the Barclays Center for the past several years has been such a meaningful experience for my family. From appearances by Filipino-American players and coaches from the NBA like the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra to The Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson to the arena sponsorship of Filipino brands like Tanduay Rum, the efforts by the Nets to make the passionate basketball Filipino community in the Tri-state area feel welcome has been inspiring. For all the love Filipinos have shown the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets, we are grateful to feel the love in return. The platform the Nets have is a great representation of our culture and gives hope for the next generation of Filipino basketball fans to feel like they belong.
In getting from New Jersey to Brooklyn, there were so many ups and downs but as a devout fan, my allegiance never wavered. From the miraculous consecutive trips to the NBA Finals to the infamous 12-70 season, and now after nearly a decade in Brooklyn being able to enjoy the game-changing arrival of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden with Steve Nash at the helm, there has been so much to enjoy about the journey of getting to this point as a fan.
Enjoying Nets basketball throughout this past year has come with an even deeper level of appreciation. Whether we are able to enjoy watching the team at home, or now back in the stands it has been a shining example of the joy that sports can bring during the most challenging of times. This past year has been difficult for so many and this team has been a source of excitement, pride, and community for me and my family when our world seemed to lack it.
Nets fandom constantly reminds me of many life lessons that are important in both sports and life. Standing together through good times and bad. Working hard and improving every day. Regrouping after making mistakes and getting back up again. The importance of sacrifice, resilience, and resourcefulness when challenges hit. So many of these lessons can be taken from the game and used in an empowering way nearly every day.
There is a joyful irony since I was born in Brooklyn, fell in love with a team from New Jersey, and now am able to enjoy the team I love in the city that I once resided. I proudly wear “Brooklyn” across my chest every chance I get to. I am a forever Nets fan. I represent the Brooklyn Nets because the Brooklyn Nets represent me. And to those who say the Nets will never be relevant, I never thought that I would’ve found love and basketball in New Jersey. So never say never.