It is--or at least was--a very smart play: the Brooklyn Nets last month began taking advantage of their new stars, Kyrie Irving (out much of this season) and Kevin Durant (rehabbing this whole season) to promote season-ticket sales next year, under the tag line's "Kings of New York" and also "Brooklyn State of Mind."It represents a more ambitious strategy than in previous years: upon the Nets' move to Brooklyn in 2012, #HelloBrooklyn was enough to establish a new presence, both for a pool of Brooklynites as well as basketball fans willing to try a newer, hipper brand compared to the typically sold-out New York Knicks games at Madison Square Garden.
But the Knicks continue to suffer from epic mismanagement, owner failure, and poor play, and thus having been losing credibility among their fan base and those who remember them as the only game in town. Indeed, in the 2019-2020 season, even the truncated Nets were catching up, averaging 16,403 (92.5% capacity) for home attendance, while the Knicks were averaging 18,811 (95% capacity), according to ESPN.
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| King Kevin Durant |
So, yes, the Brooklyn Nets--assuming NBA basketball returns next season, given the coronavirus-related hiatus--have a good chance to become the "Kings of New York," at least for the near term.
(Note: next season is not an automatic assumption. It's not out of the question that the next season could be suspended, or modified. As the "Letter to our Fans" (right) from Nets/arena CEO Oliver Weisberg states, "we are working through the challenges of this unprecedented situation, including preparing to offer refunds for unplayed games and hiring a specialist firm to disinfect the arena and practice facility.)
They should have a better team--barring significant injuries to their stars, and/or a cosmic realignment by the Knicks--and will generate more news/TV coverage, and more buzz.
They presumably have raised ticket prices, and they may even outsell the Knicks, in percentage available if not total tickets.
As the NBA heads into the final month of the 2019-2020 regular season, the Nets are already gearing up for next season with their new "Kings of New York" campaign.— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) March 8, 2020
The shirt's URL leads to a season ticket presale landing page. pic.twitter.com/o7WDfPfVGp
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