The Nets and Knicks rivalry has never been very competitive. When ever the Knicks were talented and competitive, the Nets were in a rebuilding phase. The teams switched between these two roles on and off throughout recent years. Now that the Nets have moved to Brooklyn and acquired new players, for the first time the two teams are competing to be the best. Scott Cacciola, a sports writer for the New York Times, wrote Pick a Side. Nets or Knicks? to share his and many other sports analysts’ opinions on what makes a fan either a Knicks or Nets fan. Cacciola and the other analysts use statistics and appeal to the fans emotions to show what makes a Nets or Knicks fan.
The Nets’ move to Brooklyn last year resulted in many fans abandoning their old teams to pick a new favorite. Cacciola and Kenny Smith, a TNT NBA analyst, share the facts about the new fans for the Nets. Smith describes Knicks fans to be more “wine and cheese”. The Knicks are New York’s original team, and the older, true basketball fans in New York can not switch away from the classy team that they have loved their whole lives. Due to this, the majority of Nets fans are younger and less extravagant, and do not share the history with the Knicks that the older fans have their entire lives, so they have the ability to form a love for a new team.
Every sports fan wishes to see their favorite team win a championship. In New York, fans have a choice between the two teams. With Carmelo in his prime for the Knicks, and the acquisition of old superstars for the Nets, New York fans have a chance to see either team win a championship. This is why fans’ connections to the teams plays a large role in deciding which to root for. As Howard Beck, the NBA Bleacher Report columnist states, “Having stolen the headlines and the Knicks thunder, the Nets are poised to steal the title as New York’s best basketball team.” The signing of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry along with the hiring of head coach Jason Kidd are projected to mold perfectly with the superstars already present in Brooklyn. It is difficult for many to not jump on the Nets bandwagon as they are the newest team and projected to be one of the best teams this NBA season.
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