Deadspin: New Jersey Nets

At The Nets' New Arena, Jay-Z Won't Settle For Anything Less Than The Best Champagne And Forks

Dom Cosentino — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EST

How much of a stake Jay-Z has a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets is not known. He is, however, prominently involved with the details of the team's plans to move to his native Brooklyn next season—right down to the flatware in the priciest luxury suites. This is how Scott Cacciola starts his story in today's Wall Street Journal: More »

I Witnessed Carl Lewis Murder The National Anthem

Sean Newell — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:45:05 EST

Maybe Steven Tyler's performance of the Star Spangled Banner before the AFC championship game was the worst rendition ever, maybe not. It's on the list, anyway. And the list jogged my memory: On Jan. 21, 1993, I was in Brendan Byrne Arena when Carl Lewis sang the National Anthem. More »

Tickets For Sunday's Nets Game Against The Raptors Can Be Yours For Just $.01

Dom Cosentino — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:15:00 EST

It was just last week that StubHub prices for Wizards tickets had jumped overnight from 30 cents to to $2.50. But even that markup is 250 times what it will run you if you really, really want to catch Andrea Bargnani and his high-wire act from Toronto on Sunday evening in Newark (click the above image to enlarge). As of this writing, there are still eight different listings for penny seats for this game. So what are you waiting for? [Canadian Business, via Skeets] More »

The White Mamba Made Kris Humphries Look Silly Last Night

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:35:00 EST

The Bulls have been hard-hit by injuries, yet they keep winning. That's what happens when you can plug in Brian Scalabrine off the bench for 23 minutes. Big Scal set the tone for Chicago's fourth straight victory with a move that should make Kris Humphries very happy: it'll be shown on TV for a long time to come. The layup was reminiscent of Dr. J's baseline move, only a thousand times more impressive, because it's Brian Scalabrine. More »

Of Course Darryl Dawkins Wore An Alligator Skin Suit And Smooth-Talked A Sixers Sideline Reporter Last Night

Dom Cosentino — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EST

Some athletes never outgrow their outsized personas, even long after retirement. So it is with Darryl Dawkins (aka "Chocolate Thunder"), the one and only backboard-busting native of the planet Lovetron. Here he is at Kings-Sixers in Philly, looking sharp as he sprinkles in some of that old charm at the end of this interview with Comcast SportsNet's Meredith Marakovits. [The 700 Level] More »

Dwight Howard To The Nets Is Almost A Done Deal, Reports... Jermaine Dupri

Jack Dickey — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:30:59 EST

You can have your Wojnarowski, your Broussard, your Aldridge. We've got early-2000s hip hop producer and frequent Mariah Carey and Usher collaborator Jermaine Dupri, thank you. More »

This Time, It's The Rim That Rejected Kris Humphries

Timothy Burke — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:46:22 EST

How unpopular is Kris Humphries? His wife is ripping him on Twitter, random people hate him, and New Yorkers are booing him. More »

It's Going To Be A Long, Miserable Year For Kris Humphries

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:40:13 EST

Kris Humphries's summer sideshow was entertaining but seemed ultimately irrelevant: his dalliances with Kim Kardashian and with reality TV were in the universe of entertainment and celebrity, not our sports universe. We'd get our jokes, E! gets their ratings, Humphries and the Kardashians make a quick buck, and we all go on with our lives. But if last night's merciless taunting at the hands of Knicks fans is an indication, the Kris Humphries-as-punchline era will culminate, unexpectedly, in a basketball story. More »

The Nets' New Public Address Announcer Has Long Dreadlocks And Owns His Own Cigar Lounge

Jack Dickey — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:10:00 EST

The New Jersey Nets are moving to Brooklyn next year, according to sources. (They're playing out the string in Newark this year or something.) People, especially those who are fans of rapper Jay-Z and center Johan Petro, are excited about this move. But the Nets can't move to Brooklyn and still be the Nets because then people will laugh at them because the Nets are worthy of being laughed at. More »

Pre-Kardashian Kris Humphries Went On A Date With One Of Jon Huntsman's Daughters

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:15:00 EST

Things are looking up for Kris Humphries, the NBA free agent who spent 72 days married to Kim Kardashian. Last we checked in with him, he had to deal with a "KRIS IS GAY!" tabloid cover, and he had survived what was—unofficially—the worst year ever. More »

Mikhail Prokhorov Wants To Be The Next Russian Strongman

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:45:59 EST

Mikhail Prokhorov promised to be a hands-on owner of the Nets, but that was before he committed to running a country of 142 million people. Prokhorov today announced he intends to run for President in next year's elections, challenging former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. No word on what this means for Andrei Kirilenko's future. More »

And Now The Magic May File Tampering Charges Against Teams Talking To Dwight Howard

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:45:00 EST

Everything is happening. David Aldridge reports that the Orlando Magic are considering filing tampering charges against two other teams for having contact with Dwight Howard. SI's Sam Amick says the teams are Houston and New Jersey, and that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov may have met with Howard yesterday. More »

Kris Humphries's Worst Year Ever Culminates In "KRIS IS GAY!" Tabloid Cover

Emma Carmichael — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:55:00 EST

As the year-end lists filter in this month, remember this: Not many people have had a more humiliating year than NBA free agent Kris Humphries. A year ago, Humphries was known as a mediocre pro basketball player who came off a mediocre bench for the mediocre New Jersey Nets. Now, after a 72-day marriage with Kim Kardashian, he is known as a mediocre free agent who was mercilessly used by a family of reality stars to orchestrate a made-for-TV wedding with a $17 million payout. More »

Brooklyn Holds No Allure For Deron Williams, Who Says He Won't Sign An Extension With The Nets

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:50:59 EST

Williams's agent says he plans to opt out of his contract at the end of this season, but that it's just a question of economics. The new CBA limits any proposed Nets extension to two years and $39 million, and he'd rather test the market. Or, he really misses Turkey. More »

Kim Kardashian And Kris Humphries Were Able To Tolerate Each Other For 72 Days

Emma Carmichael — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:00:43 EDT

Serial athlete seducer Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from NBA free agent Kris Humphries today, ending a 72-day marriage and/or publicity stunt. We're as unmoved as you are, because everyone saw this coming even before they each stepped out without their wedding rings—but we are concerned for the future of Humphries' game. More »

The New Jersey Nets Announce Their New Name

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:22:00 EDT

It's the Brooklyn Nets. Jay-Z said so. That's kind of boring. More »

The Daily News Tracks Down Drazen Petrovic's Forgotten Fellow Passenger

Jack Dickey — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:45:00 EDT

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The New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy spoke with Hilal Edebal, Drazen Petrovic's then-girlfriend and the passenger in the 1993 car accident that killed the New Jersey Net. She escaped alive but brain damaged. More »

Wachovia Chasing Stephon Marbury For $16 Million Loan Starbury, Inc. Hasn't Paid Back

Jack Dickey — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Tipster Kevin alerts us to an ongoing case in Montgomery County, Ohio, in which an affiliate of Wachovia/Wells Fargo is suing a familiar name—defendant Stephon X. Marbury. More »

Who Wins If Deron Williams Goes Overseas?

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:30:45 EDT

When the currently out-of-work Williams announced his deal with Istanbul club Beskitas, the instinctual reaction was to chalk it up as a labor victory for the players. I don't need you to get paid, he seemed to be saying to the owners. But as FIBA and the Nets and all of us had time to think about it, the narrative became less fixed. More »

Exclusive: How An NBA Team Makes Money Disappear [UPDATE WITH CORRECTION]

Tommy Craggs — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:05:26 EDT

We've obtained audited financial data for the New Jersey Nets covering the three fiscal years from June 2003 to June 2006. Though the numbers end five years ago, you can still see the roots of the argument that will have NBA owners, come midnight, again locking out their players. You can also see how a team makes money and how it pretends not to be making any money at all. More »

Jay-Z Fined $50k For Making Kentucky Freshmen's Dreams Come True

Jack Dickey — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:10:00 EDT

ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the NBA has fined the New Jersey Nets $50k for Jay-Z's visit to the Kentucky Wildcats locker room. More »

Kris "The Incredible Hump" Humphries Would Like You To Vote For Him For Some Things

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:10:00 EDT

It's been one of those seasons, right down to the Nets PR guy accidentally emailing his media contact list to complain that he couldn't find anyone to buy his tickets off of him. (Yes, that's a thing that actually happened.) More »

Derrick Rose Dunks, Reminds Us That NBA Does Not Suspend Play For March Madness

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:25:00 EDT

Derrick Rose is so very fun to watch. Here's a give-and-go from Chicago's 84-73 win over New Jersey last night in Newark. It's a great play to watch because it's perfectly fundamental — he plants right, cuts left, and lets out a playground "woop!" for the pass from Kurt Thomas. Rose had 21 points as the Bulls won their eighth straight and went ahead to lead the Eastern Conference. More »

Jubilant Nets Fan Does Not Know What To Do With His Hands

Emma Carmichael — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:20:00 EDT

The Nets beat the Celtics in Newark last night, 88-79. Deron Williams had 16 points and 9 assists and was 4-for-6 from three-point range as New Jersey won its fifth straight game, and no fan was more enthusiastic about it than this young Polo-shirted man. More »

Blake Griffin Did The Impossible And Sold Out A Nets Game

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:35:00 EST

Blake Griffin has impressed us all this year. He has dunked a lot, sometimes over cars, more often over humans, and it's been fun to watch. This may trump it all, though: Blake Griffin sold out a home game for the New Jersey Nets. He can retire now. More »

Newark Is The Only City That Can Make An Athlete Happy To Move To Utah

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:45:00 EST

Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: Devin Harris is glad to be out of Jersey. More »

Jazz Trade Deron Williams: What The Hell Is Going On In Utah?

Jack Dickey — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

Al Iannazzone of the Bergen Record reports that the Utah Jazz have agreed to send two-time All-Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two first-round draft picks. Wow. More »

More Meaningless, Meaningless Words From Carmelo Anthony

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:15:00 EST

When Kim Kardashian Sits Courtside, Fans Look To The Backside

A.J. Daulerio — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:05:00 EST

This photo from yesterday's Nets game comes courtesy of those wonderful gif-happy gents at The Basketball Jones (happy belated birthday to them, btw). It's like these fellas have never seen a person with Steatopygia before. More »

Carmelo Anthony Will Not Be Joining The Nets

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:20:00 EST

Melo to the Nets is dead. Said Mikhail Prokhorov, "I never met with Carmelo and I never spoke with him. Maybe he sent me an email, but I didn't see it. Or maybe the carrier pigeon got lost." More »

Brook Lopez Curses Out Someone On His Team

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST

Lopez was subbed in with three minutes left in a 3-point game. He missed a jumper and was promptly removed for Derrick Favors. He was not happy, we presume with Avery Johnson. [h/t Ben] More »

Terrence Williams Is Going To Miss The Queens Strip Clubs

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:55:00 EST

Now's an excellent time to call attention to these photos of Williams (red cap) making it rain (with Ron Artest!) at Perfection Gentlemen's Club. Too bad there aren't women who take their clothes off for money in Houston. [What's Poppin, h/t BSnO] More »

Ray Lewis Wants To Snuggie With You

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST

Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day. More »

LeBronageddon Is Upon Us

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:05:17 EST

Carmelo Anthony To Join Forces With Russian Oligarch, Lopez Twin

David Matthews — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:55:00 EDT

Things are heating up as the Nets are in talks to send Devin Harris and Derrick Favors elsewhere and acquire Carmelo Anthony. You know a trade is complicated when the Bobcats somehow stand to dramatically improve. More »

Say Goodbye To The New Jersey Nets

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:15:00 EDT

New owner, new arena, new state...and new name. Mikhail Prokhorov has filed the paperwork to get started on changing the name of the team. More »

Last Night's Winner: NBA Nerds

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:30:04 EDT

In sports, everyone is winner—some people just win better than others. Like people who actually care about NBA free agency. You did it. You've arrived. Go ahead and start annoying everyone with your "official" guesses. More »

The True Story Of The J-School Grad Who Landed A Brooklyn Bar Sit-Down With Mikhail Prokhorov

David Matthews — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:15:00 EDT

The Mikhail Prokhorov media train passed through the New York area this week. It was a fairly routine junket — a press conference and an interview with Mike Francesa — with one exception: a one-on-one with Vinnie Rotondaro. Wait, who? More »

Jet Skis, Assault Weapons, And Party Girls: The Mikhail Prokhorov Supermix

David Matthews — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:25:49 EDT

Newly minted Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is America's new favorite Russian oligarch. In the wake of all his recent, reliably preposterous media appearances, we've decided to put together a mix. Please enjoy. [Footage via Nets.com, CBSnews.com, YESNetwork.com; tunes via] More »

Nets Are First Domino To Fall To Russian Invaders

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:30:58 EDT

The NBA has formally approved the sale of the New Jersey Nets to mad Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. To celebrate, all season tickets will receive a free cobalt mine. [NY1] More »