"We are Brooklyn"? Barclays the place for royal meeting, Garner protests, Nets' lost opportunity

"We are Brooklyn" has ironic tinge. Such protests would be
impossible had the office tower been built. AP via WSJ

It was a strange night at and around the Barclays Center last night.

The Nets played LeBron James's Cavaliers, the royal couple (William and Kate) showed up (and met Brooklynish royals Jay-Z and Beyonce), and protesters responding to the decision not to indict a cop for causing the death of Eric Garner gathered at a die-in on the arena plaza and at the Atlantic Terminal mall. Oh, and various players wore "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts, reflecting Garner's repeated, futile protest.

Vanity Fair reported it as Beyoncé and Kate Middleton Met Courtside at Barclays and We Were There.

New York Magazine offered Weird Scenes from the Night Kate and William Met Beyoncé and Jay Z.

Photo via NBA

A New York Post photo of the meeting shows Nets/Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark wearing a tight smile at his handiwork. As noted at right, James gave the royal couple Cavaliers t-shirts, plus one for little George.

NetsDaily's Net Income (aka Bob Windrem) observed:

For the Nets, it was a major coup. In the celebrity battle, Barclays Center had once again topped Madison Square Garden for whom rounding up the well-known and well-heeled is an art form. Last season, the Nets lured both Sir Paul McCartney and former President Bill Clinton to Brooklyn. It will be hard for the Dolans to top that. They can have Matthew Modine.

The Nets' lost opportunity

New York Post sports columnist George Willis wrote, The Nets will never be mistaken for royals at this rate:

One of the biggest nights in the young history of Barclays Center had little to do with the basketball team that makes the arena its home. Having the Royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, in the building and King James on the court only underscored the fact the Nets are blowing a golden opportunity to be basketball royalty in New York City.

...With the Knicks a woeful 4-18, the Nets have a chance to be kings of the city. Instead, they seem stuck in mediocrity. When Mikhail Prokhorov took over as the Nets majority owner, he predicted a championship within five years. This is the fifth year, but the Nets look no closer to winning a title.