Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

OK, this will be my last Brooklyn Nets post for now, but let's note that the debut of star guard James Harden, who hadn't practiced with the team, went very well, with a couple of asterisks.  As the Daily News put it, The James Harden-Kevin Durant Nets look unguardable , and the New York Post put it,  James Harden does it all in winning Nets debut . That dominated the tabloids' back pages. From the Daily News: Harden recorded the first-ever Nets debut triple double and the first-ever 30-point triple double in a team debut in NBA history. He saw players open before they did, pushed the tempo like he used to under Mike D’Antoni in Houston, was pragmatic about his shot selection, and left his mark all over the tie-dye court with 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds on the night. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant scored 42 points and shooter Joe Harris scored 17.  And that was without star guard Kyrie Irving, who is also unguardable, though could raise complications.  The challenges for

Yup, it's a business. As Sportico reported yesterday, in  HARDEN TRADE PROMPTS YES NETWORK, NETS TO LAUNCH VIRTUAL ADS ON COURT , the Brooklyn Nets' dramatic , not-without- risk addition of superstar James Harden may cost draft picks and higher salaries, but comes with an upside: Because of pinched budgets during the pandemic, the NBA is allowing broadcasts this season to include virtual ads on the court during games. The Nets and their TV partner, YES Network , originally decided to hold off on selling that space. On Thursday, 24 hours after the team acquired Harden in a blockbuster trade , the two sides reversed course. In a few weeks, advertising partners will have placement on the court during home and away games. The trade “definitely pushed us quicker to the table,” said Howard Levinson, YES Network’s senior vice president of ad sales. “We were trying to develop a market for it, and now we feel like with this trade, the market will be there.” As Sportico reported, adverti

Well, the Brooklyn Nets' blockbuster trade for start shooting guard James Harden, creating a superteam at significant sacrifice, continued to generate much discussion and buzz yesterday after General Manager Sean Marks addressed the media , leaving many commentators with more optimism than not. As the New York Times distilled it:  With James Harden, the Nets now have an elite trio of ball-dominant playmakers. Yet there are key differences in how Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving thrive that could allow this grand experiment to work. The New York Post's Brian Lewis addressed an obvious question: Q: GM Sean Marks said in November he wouldn’t mortgage the future, but here we are. Why were they willing to make the deal now? A: The need was greater for both Brooklyn and Houston. While Marks can say this had nothing to do with Irving’s personal issues, Harden provides the most expensive insurance policy in NBA history against Irving getting hurt, going AWOL or being dealt. And after

In another remarkable--albeit risky--move, the Brooklyn Nets yesterday became even more of a superteam, adding Houston Rockets superstar James Harden, who'd agitated to leave, in exchange for a heavy price: three solid young players, including budding stars Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, and a trove of draft assets: three unprotected first-round picks, plus four opportunities to swap draft positions. That lifted the Nets into the NBA's likely second slot, behind the defending champs Los Angeles Lakers, according to betting odds , though pundits said the trade would be justified only by a title.  It should further cement the Nets--who last night beat the long-struggling New York Knicks with forward Kevin Durant as their only star on the court--as the city's dominant team, thus narrowing the Knicks' long advantage in revenue, sponsorships, viewers, and value.  And if it delivers a championship to the Nets, who began playing in Brooklyn in September 2012, it's anoth

I reported last month that the 812-seat middle-school occupying the first six floors, plus below-ground space, at the B15 tower--just across Sixth Avenue from the Barclays Center--was as of then due in March 2024, according to the School Construction Authority (SCA).  And that suggested that I.S. 653--called by backers MS OneBrooklyn --wouldn't open until the 2024-25 school year, a year later than the previous prediction of September 2023.   Ineed, in a presentation last night to the Community Education Council of District 13, the SCA's Tamar Smith said that the school had been pushed back a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Her slide, excerpted above, indicated that the school would be occupied by September 2024. That's approximately three years after when the first residents of the rental apartment tower might move in. The completion of the school might thus be disruptive to those living above noisy construction. New address: 491 Dean Street? Smith's slides als

In NYFights 1/7/21, columnist Michael Woods, wrote  Pandemic, Social Upheaval Spur Changes At Barclays Center, But Brooklyn Boxing Will Survive: On Tuesday, word dropped that layoffs hit at Barclays Center, and that included someone who rode the wave of Brooklyn Boxing from the get go, Joseph DiMitri of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. “The end of an era…Yesterday, I along with many other of my closest colleagues were let go by Barclays Center. After 8 1/2 dedicated years, I will not be able to finish…what was started,” the 37 year old sales ace shared on social. “Prior to the stoppage in March, Brooklyn Boxing was set to have another big year to host some of the biggest fights in the game. All I can say is a big ‘thank you’ to my great clients, family and friends who have loyally supported throughout the years. I hope we all can stay in contact as I seek my next venture and hope to announce it soon.” It's unclear how many workers were laid off. (DiMitri told Woods that Barclays did the rig

The latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Construction Update (bottom), covering the two weeks beginning Monday, Jan. 11 (today), was circulated Friday at 2:58 pm (lead time) by Empire State Development (ESD) after preparation by Greenland Forest City Partners.  The news, compared to the previous Update , is that potentially disruptive track work planned for the two blocks of the Vanderbilt Yard, both this weekend and next, starting 9 pm Friday January 15 and January 22, and finishing by 4 am Monday January 18 and January 25, respectively.  The work "may require the use of portable light towers," according to the notice. "The light towers will be positioned to illuminate only the work zone in the Yard thereby minimizing impact to the surrounding community." Note that the track record for such work is that the lighting does not necessarily minimize impact but penetrates people's homes.  The reason for such work is not stated. Is this the final completion of the n