By Brett Yormark: “We wanted to bring a good product to Brooklyn. This team is bigger than one particular player.”
April 24, 2012 – 5:15 am by Steven Cuce
The New Jersey Nets have officially ended a 35-year run in New Jersey as of Monday night with a 105-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The next stop for the Nets will be Brooklyn in the new Barclays Center. As the Nets prepared for their move to Brooklyn the thought was that they would head to New York with star players like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. Now the organization is hoping to retain Deron Williams.
Nets CEO Brett Yormark has been waiting seven years for the move to Brooklyn. Yormark is excited for the move and looks to unveil the organization’s new logos and colors next week.
Brett Yormark joined WFAN in New York with Boomer & Carton to discuss the Nets leaving New Jersey after the season concludes, the possibility of moving to Brooklyn without Deron Williams next season, the New Jersey Nets building a contender in the off-season without first round draft picks, the Barclays Center hosting the New York Islanders, and the Nets unveiling their new logo next week.
Is it bittersweet you are leaving New Jersey?
“Personally it is a little bittersweet. I grew up going down to the rack. I was a Nets fan since I was 10 years old, but obviously I came here seven years ago to take this team to Brooklyn and one thing we have been is open and honest to the fans. We’ve said all along our intent was to go to Brooklyn and now we are finally on the brink of opening the Barclays Center and renaming and rebranding this franchise. I am very excited about.”
What’s the last year been like with getting Deron Williams and now the possibility of not having him next year in Brooklyn?
“Our point from day one has always been be good when you get to Brooklyn, so whether it was to be good two years ago or this summer? It didn’t really make a difference. The goal is we wanted to bring a good product to Brooklyn next fall. I have all of the confidence in the world with respect to Billy King and Avery [Johnson] and ownership that we will bring a good product to Brooklyn. This team is bigger than one particular player or two players, so I’m convinced we’ll look very differently going into Brooklyn and I am convinced we will have a good team that people in Brooklyn will certainly root for.”
How are you going to be good next year without first round draft picks?
“Well listen I think we have a lot of flexibility heading into the summer when you think of cap space and opportunities for Billy [King] to really maneuver this roster and I leave that up to him and Avery [Johnson] and ownership. Like I said I am convinced we are going to have a good product in Brooklyn. There’s a plan in place and maybe things didn’t unfold the way we would have liked earlier and that meaning this year or last year, but I am convinced when we get to Brooklyn we will be in better shape than we are now.”
How legitimate is it that the Barclays Center could host the New York Islanders? Is that legitimate?
“Yeah. I think so. We are going to test it a little bit in the fall on October 2nd when the Islanders play the Devils. We are very excited about it. In the first two weeks of tickets going on sale we sold over 6,000 seats, so there is a built in fan base in Brooklyn and we can accommodate hockey, NHL quality hockey at the Barclays Center. We are excited about that.”
No other changes for the team? Will they be the Brooklyn Nets?
“Brooklyn Nets. Next monday on the 30th [of April] we will unveil our new logo, our new identity, our team colors. Merchandise will be available in market as of next Monday as we really go through a transformation going to Brooklyn.”
Listen to Brett Yormark on 660 WFAN in New York here
Tags: 660 WFAN in New York, Boomer & Carton, Brett Yormark, Deron Williams, NBA, New Jersey Nets
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