THE NOMAD1 NETS E THE HUDSON RIVER SEPARATES NEW JERSEY FROM THE BUSTLING CITY OF NEW YORK Pr RE DIGEST ON THE I
BILL MELCHIONNI EI YORK he city of New York New York comprises five boroughs the most populous of which is Brooklyn First established by Dutch immigrants in 1634 as Breukelen it became a focal point of colonial America After the British I took over the settlement in the 1660s the name changed to Brooklyn A century later it was a close witness to the largest battle of the American Revolution as the United States fought to become an independent nation Ever since Brooklyn has remained a home to many coexisting immigrants and ethnic groups embodying the motto Unity makes strength Brooklyn has long appreciated sports organized baseball leagues were in place by the mid 1800s and locals cheered for the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball MLB starting in 1890 But when the Dodgers In it woman has
AFTER MANY MOVES THE NETS FOUND A LONG TERM HOME IN JERSEY S MEADOWLANDS moved to California before the 1958 season original members of the American Basketball they left a void until 2012 when a National Association ABA in 1967 the club was initially Basketball Association NBA franchise arrived called the Americans ABA officials wanted the The incoming club already had a nomadic franchise to play in New York City to compete history of relocations around New York and New with the NBA's Knicks But when plans for a Jersey It was during a previous stop in New home arena in New York fell through owner York that the club had taken the name Nets Arthur Brown and the Americans settled for because it rhymed with Mets and Jets New York baseball and football teams Teaneck Armory in New Jersey The Armory was dim and leaky and one home game was even postponed because of rain Fortunately the team's play was more respectable than its arena The team that would become the Brooklyn Nets had a shaky beginning As one of the 10
COURTSIDE STORIES HOME COURT Playing in the Teaneck Armory was DISADVANTAGE often an adventure for the New Jersey Americans in their first season in the ABA Still the team achieved a respectable 36 42 record tied with the Kentucky Colonels for fourth place in the Eastern Division The two clubs were scheduled to face off in New Jersey in a one game tiebreaker with the winner earning a playoff berth However a circus was booked at the Armory for the selected date so the Americans had to look for a new home court The only place management could find on short notice was the aging Commack or Long Island Arena on New York's Long Island When the two clubs and their fans arrived for the game they discovered that the arena's floor was missing several boards and the stands were falling apart ABA commissioner George Mikan ruled the game a forfeit and New Jersey was eliminated from the playoffs without taking a single shot Ironically the Americans moved the next season to a newly repaired Commack Arena but their bad luck in the building continued as they finished with a league low 17 61 record I litia in In IT IMTM l III 11
