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July 16, 2012
Joe Johnson says Nets ‘definitely’ the best team in New York as Brooklyn declares all-out hoops war on Manhattan
Standing in front of about 1,000 fans who’d come to cheer on recently re-signed guard Deron Williams ($98 million over five years) and new acquisition Joe Johnson (four years, $89 million), Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz got down to business - and insults.
NY Daily News
by Stefan Bondy
More coverage of Friday's silliness.
The Brooklyn Nets rolled out their first basketball stars Friday — a duo that GM Billy King dubbed “the best backcourt in the NBA” — and it didn’t take long for an all-out hoops war to be declared on the Knicks.
Standing in front of about 1,000 fans who showed up to celebrate Deron Williams and Joe Johnson at a pep rally outside of Borough Hall, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz got down to business — and insults.
Related coverage...
The New York Times, Tough Talk From Nets at Brooklyn Rally
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On a stage of marble, between Roman columns that stretched toward the sky, the Nets declared an identity and made an audacious claim: New York is officially a two-team town.
The Post gets a little carried away with its crowd estimate.
NY Post, 2,000 screaming fans pack plaza outside B'klyn Borough Hall for Nets
“This is sick, and it’s all about Brooklyn pride,” Max Kiss said. “Many of our friends are slowly switching from Knicks fans to Nets fans. “ But Robert Hall, a 31-year-old teacher from Park Slope, said he'd never turn his back on the Knicks.
NoLandGrab: Sick indeed, but not the way Mr. Kiss meant it.
Bed-Stuy Patch, A Brooklyn Nets Pep Rally
NY1, Brooklyn Nets Introduce Players At Pep Rally
Photo: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Posted by eric at July 16, 2012 10:22 AM