Brooklyn Brigade
The Brooklyn Brigade[1] are a group of fans of the Brooklyn Nets who are known for their loud chants and passionate attitude towards the Nets. The group was founded in November of 2012 by Nets fan and Brooklyn native Udong "Bobby" Edemeka.[2]
The Brooklyn Brigade can be found on Section 114 of Barclays Center during all Nets home games. The Brigade is often spotlighted on the Jumbotron before the tip off of the game and at various times during the game. During the opposing team starting 5 announcements, the Brigade loudly chant "Brooklyn" to drown out the announcement of the names.
During the 2018-2019 season, the Nets carved out Section 114 for passionate fans called The BK Block.[3] Although the Brigade is an independent fan group of the Nets, The Block[4] is composed mostly of Brigade members.[5]
History[edit]
In November 2012, the Brooklyn Nets were beginning their new season since making the transition to the Barclays Center from Prudential Center where they played from 2010-2012. During this time, Bobby [6] attended a few early season games of the new Brooklyn team. At this time, the Nets were seen as an expansion team by the league and fans alike. Bobby noticed that the team lacked a solid fanbase in their new home, and knowing how passionate the Nets fans from the Meadowlands were, he decided to purchase tickets for a small group of roughly 20 fans who he noticed were regular followers of the team on the SB Nation online blog NetsDaily.[7] The first game that the group attended was against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Brigade at this time was not relegated to Section 114. [8] Instead, Bobby would purchase tickets in whichever section he could, which often included nosebleed seats. The Brigade initially did not get much recognition from the Nets. Bobby met with then CEO of ONEXIM Group (which owned the Nets until 2019)[9] Irina Pavlova who was fond of the group's fanatics. Although Pavlova was a supporter of the group, other members of the organization were not initially on board with the Brigade. During the 2014-2015 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets began assigning seats to the Brigade on Section 114 of Barclays Center. This section is adjacent to the press booth and gave the Brooklyn Brigade exposure on a regional level and then eventually on a national level.
During the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in 2014, while the Nets battled the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yomark noticed the effect that the Brigade had on the arena and he started to visit Section 114 and distributing Nets' apparel. IN 2016, the Brooklyn Nets hired Sean Marks as their general manager.[10] Marks was an immediate supporter of the group and personally introduced the Brigade to then Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.[11]
Beginning in the 2018-2019 NBA Season, the Brooklyn Brigade members as well as members of the Nets fanbase were invited to audition for free season passes for Section 114. The Nets also began providing head cutouts of Nets players and YES Network personalities.
NBA Bubble[edit]
During the 2019-2020 NBA Season, the NBA was forced to move the games to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brooklyn Brigade members of The BK Block were invited to cheer for the team virtually using Microsoft Teams. The Brigade members attended all Nets "home games" during the NBA bubble including "home games" during the round 1 matchup against the Toronto Raptors for the playoffs.
References[edit]
- ↑ "The Brooklyn Brigade". The Brooklyn Brigade.
- ↑ "The fight for New York's next generation of fans starts in Barclays Center's lower bowl". ESPN.com. January 20, 2020.
- ↑ Scotto, Michael (October 31, 2018). "How the Nets are betting on 'The Block' to be the heart of a growing Brooklyn fanbase". The Athletic. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
The Nets unveiled 'The Block: Home of the Brooklyn Brigade' in section 114 this season, which is sponsored by East Coast Power and Gas.
- ↑ "The Block". Brooklyn Nets.
- ↑ "When Love Blooms in Section 114". NetsDaily. February 22, 2020.
- ↑ Botte, Petter (January 24, 2019). "Barclays Center Starting to Buzz as Surging Nets Suddendly Matter". New York Post.
- ↑ Almeida, Chris (April 18, 2019). "Nets Fandom Is Having Its New York Moment". The Ringer.
- ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (December 3, 2018). "New York's N.B.A Teams Don't Have Much to Celebrate. These Fans Cheer Anyway". The New York Times.
- ↑ reports, From NBA media. "Joseph Tsai to buy rest of Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov". NBA.com.
- ↑ Tasch, Justin. "Brooklyn Nets hire Spurs exec Sean Marks to be GM". nydailynews.com.
- ↑ Milholen, Chris (May 18, 2019). "How The Brooklyn Brigade became a building block in establishing Nets culture". NetsDaily.
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