By Kim Velsey 7/18/12 4:07pm

Manhattan Transfers

Mr. Jefferson is giving up his home court advantage in New York.

Slam Dunk! NBA Star Richard Jefferson Gets $5 M. For Tribeca Loft

Now that he’s spent the last few years playing for West Coast teams, it only makes sense that former New Jersey Nets star Richard Jefferson would sell his fifth-floor loft at 169 Hudson Street.

Mr. Jefferson, who now plays with Oakland’s Golden State Warriors, bought the 3,584-square-foot condo for $3.5 million in cash in 2004 (he had just signed a 6-year, $78 million contract with the Nets, so having that kind of money lying around was no stretch). Located in a former warehouse, the condo has 10-foot ceilings—a big plus for a 6-foot-7 athlete. Read More

By Drew Grant 7/17/12 2:39pm

sports

Kris Humphries: Nothing but Nets (Getty Images)

Kris Humphries’ $24 Million Payday With Brooklyn Nets Causing Him to Self-Destruct

Beleaguered wax-man Kris Humphries has had a rough twelve months. The NBA lockouts had us fearing that he would forever be employed as Mr. Kardashian, until negotiations broke down on that front as well, leaving him booted from Team Kim shortly after their fairytale wedding. (“Fairytale” in the sense that it was entirely made up and in no way based on reality.)

His refusal to sign the divorce papers have lead to an ugly court case, with allegations of cheating, stalking, sex-tape set-ups, and a bunch of other sociopathic behavior on both sides. On occasion, he’s been booed off the court before he could even foul.

But now things are looking up for Mr. Humphries. The Brooklyn Nets (previously of New Jersey) have re-signed the power forward with a two year contract for $24 million. Read More

By Drew Grant 6/26/12 3:21pm

sports

The Brooklyn Nets' parked billboard (Twitter)

Deron Williams Wooed By Nets’ Birthday Billboard

Deron Williams is a hot commodity right now: The NBA player almost single-handedly turned around the New Jersey Nets’ subpar season when he scored a personal and team-breaking record of 57 points off the Charlotte Bobcats in March. (Not to mention that this was the NBA’s season record high as well.) Comparisons to Kobe Bryant were inevitable, since he’s the only player to beat the Bobcats with more points than Mr. Williams. Read More

By Daniel D'Addario 2/21/12 11:47am

Celebrity Sightings

3 Photos

Beyoncé and child.

Beyonce and Jay-Z Check Out Lin–and Their Nets

Brooklyn Nets (née New Jersey Nets) investor Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé have kept a relatively low public profile since the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, independently releasing songs and photos and singing at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps it’s only a low profile by celebrity-couple standards, but they didn’t go to the Grammys!

Last night, though, Mr. Z and Ms. é made an appearance at Madison Square Garden to see the Nets defeat Jeremy Lin’s Knicks. Forensic analysis of photos shot at the game indicates that Beyonce wore potential parquet-destroying heels, and that the best and worst part of being a civilian sitting courtside is getting to sit next to a celebrity but having to pretend to text so as to play it cool. Read More

By Daniel Geiger 1/04/12 9:45am

lease beat

The Nets are moving to 15 MetroTech.

New Jersey Nets Ink Office Deal at MetroTech Center

The New Jersey Nets are taking another step closer to becoming Brooklyn’s first professional sports team since the Dodgers walked away from the borough almost 55 years ago, sources revealed to The Commercial Observer yesterday.

The team is relocating its corporate headquarters from East Rutherford to Downtown Brooklyn, where the organization is taking 35,145 square feet at the office building 15 MetroTech Center. The Nets will take the space for between five and 10 years at rents in the $30s per square foot, said sources. Read More

By Drew Grant 9/26/11 1:21pm

Brooklyn Nets

Phoenix Suns v New Jersey Nets

Jay-Z Announces "Brooklyn Nets" Title, Tells Everyone To Stop Watching Knicks Games

One year from now, Jay-Z will be performing in his hometown Brooklyn. That’s the good news. The rapper’s love of basketball has led to his owning a small stake in the former New Jersey Nets, which from now on will be the Brooklyn Nets. (We would have really preferred it if owner/Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov had actually named the team after his girlfriends.)

The group will find its new home at the soon-to-be-built Barclays Center on Flatbush and Atlantic Ave., as part of Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards Project that’s been going so well. Jay himself announced the official name in a “brief and anticlimactic” ceremony in New Jersey today. Read More