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Could the Atlantic Yards become the house that LeBron built?
This story is a little old, but over the summer LeBron James, the basketball phenom, had a meal with Jay Z, the record producing mogul. While it was most likely an innocent meeting between two friends with great mutual respect, some NBA analysts speculated that this could be an underhanded recruitment effort.
Jay Z owns part of the Nets, which happens to be the team that will move in to the Atlantic Yards behemoth when it is finished.
LeBron’s new contract with the Cavaliers ends in 2010, roughly the same time that the stadium will be complete.
These dots might never connect, but what are the chances that LeBron will become the first marquee name on the “Brooklyn Nets’” roster? Food for thought at least, especially in an age when sports executives whine that they need new venues with outrageous luxury boxes in order to draw top-notch talent.
Having the Nets in Brooklyn is not all that strange. Neither of New York City’s two football teams actually have anything to do with New York City, both are based in the Meadowlands and rarely set foot on the island. Will the Nets change their name to the Brooklyn Nets? Who knows, but it does have a nice ring to it.
I think that this new stadium could be a final piece in making the Nets a marquee team again. They’ve been on the cusp for some time. Vince Carter revitalized them, slightly. Jason Kidd still has eyes on the back of his head and Richard Jefferson is money. But it’s still not enough. They’ve never recovered after losing Kenyon Martin, their best Big Guy. They still need more.
But LeBron doesn’t want to move from Cleveland to New Jersey. He wants to dominate New York. And that’s got to be part of the plan. Attract LeBron, win championships. I’m sure sore Knicks fans will take anything at this point.
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