Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

In the end, the "scary hours"--what star James Harden predicted when the Brooklyn Nets' superstar trio involving him, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving--were barely six, an astonishing 364 total minutes  in 16 (of potential 125) games, of which the Nets won 13. And those ads featuring Harden at the Triangle Sports building and in shop windows --well, they're history. Same for the slam-dunk odds for the Nets to win a championship. What to blame? Injuries, Kyrie's refusal to get vaccinated (which placed more of a load on teammates); Harden's on-court unhappiness with the team and mercurial teammate ; GM Sean Marks' roster construction, and, of course, player empowerment. So the disgruntled Harden, less than 13 months after forcing his way out of Houston with a trade, this time forced a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, who were thriving--if not top-tier--without their problem star, Ben Simmons, who hasn't played this season. Nets improve, but... Both teams...

So, that James Harden Adidas advertisement/mural wrapping the former Triangle Sports building opposite the Barclays Center lasted only about six weeks, with the painting spotted on April 8 and the surfaces overpainted in white by May 18. Is something else coming? Surely that piece of advertising real estate is coveted, especially when eyeballs are focused on the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center. For now, as the photo below shows (taken June 7), DoorDash has taken over the lower perimeter of the building, touting a partnership with the Brooklyn Nets. The main surface is blank--waiting, perhaps, for a championship series?

I wrote 4/8/21 when signs of a James Harden mural, sponsored by Adidas, were reported on the former Triangle Sports building, bordered by Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and Dean Street--a location that has changed hands for big money but which has never worked for a retail tenant. When I walked by last Friday, I saw that all three sides of the building--except for the roll-down gates, which seem to be waiting for something--were covered with versions of the mural. Along Flatbush Avenue Along Fifth Avenue Corner of Fifth Avenue and Dean Street Along Dean Street