At Barclays, a Biggie celebration

The commodification of "Brooklyn" has reached a new level.

A press release from the Brooklyn Nets, BROOKLYN NETS TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND THE LEGACY OF THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. AT “BIGGIE NIGHT” ON SUNDAY, MARCH 12:

BROOKLYN (March 8, 2017) – The Nets will celebrate the life of Brooklyn-born Biggie Smalls, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. and Billboard’s “greatest rapper of all-time,” when the Nets host the New York Knicks at Barclays Center on Sunday, March 12 at 6 p.m. The evening will commemorate Biggie’s iconic legacy and the 20th anniversary of his passing on March 9, 1997.
Biggie’s closest family and friends will be in attendance to remember him throughout the night, with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Biggie’s mom Voletta Wallace paying tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. with special pre-game and halftime ceremonies. Invited guests include Biggie’s children, T’Yanna and CJ Wallace, Mark Pitts, and Wayne Barrow.
Music from Biggie and the artists he inspired will be played throughout the game, the Brooklynettes will perform two special routines, and at halftime, DJ Enuff will play for the crowd. Fans will also see a video montage commemorating Biggie’s life, and fans are encouraged to participate in the conversation on social media using #NetsBiggieNight.
“Biggie’s music played a major role in positioning Brooklyn at the forefront of the music industry, and on Sunday we will celebrate his enduring legacy,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “There is no better place to honor him than at Barclays Center, Brooklyn’s biggest stage and the home of hip-hop.”
On behalf of the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, the Nets will refurbish the basketball gym at Queen of All Saints School in Brooklyn, where The Notorious B.I.G. attended middle school.
The Notorious B.I.G. Estate will also unveil Biggie’s official “Hypnotize” designer label this week with a full-scale cross-continental joint launch, culminating at “Biggie Night.” The collection will debut March 9-12 with a special pop-up shop at The Swag Shop at Barclays Center. Among the designer label’s items are limited-edition t-shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets, snapbacks, bags and other accessories.

Updated: the aftermath

From the Nets:

The Brooklyn Nets paid tribute to one of Brooklyn’s finest on Sunday, celebrating the life and legacy of Biggie Smalls with Nets Biggie Night.
And the Nets made sure it wasn’t just a one-time thing, raising a Biggie Smalls banner to the Barclays Center rafters featuring some of his most famous lyrics, “spread love it’s the Brooklyn way” and the number 72.
“Biggie is a landmark,” said DJ Enuff, Biggie’s former DJ who spun tracks at halftime. “He truly is a landmark of BK. If there is laws and paperwork that protects landmarks I think he deserves that and the fact that [The Nets] are going to do that is a blessing and I appreciate it.”
Nets Biggie Night featured a series of tributes to the iconic Brooklyn rapper, playing his music throughout the Nets 120-112 win over the New York Knicks, honoring his mother and children, as well as the Bad Boy family.