Analyzing the Knicks and Nets Rivalry That Never Was

Apr 2, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce (34) guards New York Knicks forward Amar
Apr 2, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce (34) guards New York Knicks forward Amar

What ever happened to the projected rivalry between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks?


“Hello Brooklyn.”

These two words appeared unavoidable for any New York-based basketball fan during late 2012, when the Nets swapped their longtime home of New Jersey for the glamour of downtown Brooklyn. Having acquired a state of the art arena in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in New York City, the Nets looked well on course to developing into one of the premier franchises in the NBA.

Their imminent arrival in the Big Apple spawned the widespread prediction of a new rivalry set to take the league by storm — between the newly New Yorker Brooklyn Nets, and the Manhattan based New York Knicks. Following a decade of futility, both sides seemed primed to emerge as major contenders in the Eastern Conference.

With Deron Williams and Joe Johnson joining Brook Lopez to counter the Knicks’ recently assembled big three of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, the battle for New York was set to achieve levels of intensity never before seen by the basketball world.

However, in the seasons that followed, the unthinkable happened — neither side threw the first punch.

Jan 29, 2014; New York, NY, USA; General view of the Manhattan skyline and Freedom Tower and Empire State building in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 29, 2014; New York, NY, USA; General view of the Manhattan skyline and Freedom Tower and Empire State building in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The two hoops empires simply collapsed upon themselves, crumbling into a heap of rubble. A rivalry that was meant to encompass the biggest city in America morphed into a race for draft picks and petty bragging rights, leaving fans throughout the five boroughs of New York scratching their heads in disbelief.

While the failures of the two teams can be attributed to numerous sources, the brunt of the blame can only fall on the heads of the operations — owners Mikhail Prokhorov and James Dolan.

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After gaining 80 percent majority ownership of the Nets back in 2009, Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov became the first non-North American owner of an NBA team. Following his groundbreaking takeover, the mining tycoon immediately cited his lofty expectations for the newly purchased Nets, stating that his intentions were for the team to make the playoffs in his first season as owner, and win a championship within five years.

Apr 8, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov addresses media during a press conference before the Brooklyn Nets play the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov addresses media during a press conference before the Brooklyn Nets play the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Prokhorov even put forth his best efforts to incite a potential rivalry with the Knicks, promising that he would, “Turn Knicks fans into Nets fans.” Within a few months of his takeover, the fan base was hooked. Prokhorov’s unprecedented brashness gave him the Messiah-like appearance of the savior Nets fans had long called for.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, things haven’t quite turned out the way Prokhorov promised.

Three trips to the postseason since the Russian took over do not hide the fact that his tenure as Nets owner has been noticeably fruitless. They’ve failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs despite employing some of the biggest names in basketball, and now lack both star power and a discernible direction for the future.

For all the money that Prokhorov has poured into the franchise, the Nets look startlingly close to returning to square one.

Mar 18, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan in attendance at a press conference to introduce New York Knicks new president of basketball of operations Phil Jackson (not pictured) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan in attendance at a press conference to introduce New York Knicks new president of basketball of operations Phil Jackson (not pictured) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
New York Knicks
New York Knicks

New York Knicks

While Prokhorov’s charming mannerisms mask a fair chunk of his financial irresponsibility, the same cannot be said for his counterpart across the East River. MSG President James Dolan has long represented one of the most reviled figures in New York, enraging the Madison Square Garden faithful with both his irritable mannerisms and ill-advised management.

A large portion of Dolan’s decisions have been truly baffling, yet arguably the single occurrence that sums up his time at the helm of the Knicks had nothing to do with basketball at all. After receiving a strongly worded email from Irving Bierman, a 72-year-old lifelong Knicks fan who was justifiably angry with MSG’s management of the team, Dolan lashed out with unwarranted venom.

After accusing Bierman of being an alcoholic, he continued by telling him to, “Start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don’t want you.”

To put it bluntly, James Dolan is out of touch. He’s alienated the fans with both his management and irritable mannerisms, and seems completely unaware of his disastrous effect on the franchise. Even with Phil Jackson now handling the reigns of the Knicks, the potential for disaster is always hovering while Dolan still owns MSG.

With so many hapless executives in the front office, it’s no surprise that both the Knicks and the Nets have tallied their fair sure of poor personnel decisions. In particular, the over-investment in veteran players has become a crippling factor in both sides’ recent downfalls.

Mar 19, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter of a game at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-86. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter of a game at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-86. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Following the signing of Rasheed Wallace, then Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald created a small bit of unwanted history  by assembling the oldest squad ever to grace the NBA. With an average age of close to 33 years old, the Knicks had placed their eggs in a basket that seemed more primed to retire than achieve any actual postseason success.

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While the team did finish as the Eastern Conference 2nd seed behind the veteran leadership of players such as Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Kurt Thomas, it was indeed their advanced age that led to their eventual downfall. Following a physically grueling first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, the noticeably fatigued Knicks were battered by a youthful Indiana Pacers squad that, to put it bluntly, simply out-youthed them.

This shortsighted approach by Grunwald basically sums up New York’s misfortunes over the past couple of years. While a certain level of initial success was achieved under these win now tactics, the simple truth is without a foundation for the future, the Knicks empire was always going to crumble.

Once the veteran base dissolved, the Knicks were left with Carmelo Anthony and a slew of borderline NBA players—a blueprint that was destined for nothing more than lottery mediocrity. Fortunately, the arrival of Phil Jackson has salvaged some of the Knicks’ prospects for the future.

The Zen Master now has a massive rebuilding project on his hands in the aftermath of the front office’s ineptitude, even with the emergence of Latvian rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis.

Having made similar mistakes, Brooklyn has not fared much better than the Knicks in recent seasons. Following general manager Billy King’s addition of future hall of famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013, numerous onlookers predicted the Nets to finally take the leap and enter the tier of genuine title contenders.

Just like the Knicks, however, building largely around veterans failed to have the desired effect on the franchise. Garnett and Pierce delivered the big name allure that Prokhorov so desperately yearned for, yet in the end, the price the Nets paid was simply too steep.

Having given up a majority of their young prospects and draft picks, Brooklyn forfeited their future for a year-and-a-half of the Boston Celtics‘ remaining members of the declining big three.

In addition to veterans, both the Knicks’ and Nets’ willingness to add players on bloated contracts has represented a huge blow to the fortunes of New York basketball. When Amar’e Stoudemire joined the Knicks in 2010, various question marks arose over the signing of a player who, at age 27, had undergone multiple knee surgeries. Of course, Dolan didn’t care. Stoudemire’s marketability was enough for him to take the plunge, despite the fact that his tenure in New York seemed destined to fail.

Having not learned their lesson from one injury prone big man with subpar defensive abilities, the Knicks went on to trade for Andrea Bargnani two years later. The former first overall pick had been a perennial underachiever since entering the league in 2006, offering no proof that he’d be anything but a hindrance for a team like New York. Not to be deterred, the Knicks gave up a package of veterans, two second round picks, and even an actual first round pick for the Italian.

Bargnani lasted two injury-plagued season in New York, during a time that represented some of the worst Knicks basketball the Big Apple had ever seen. And with the team now in need of young pieces on a roster primed to enter rebuilding mode, the Knicks now find themselves without a first-round pick in this upcoming draft.

Mar 23, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) drives to the basket defended by New York Knicks center Andrea Bargnani (77) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) drives to the basket defended by New York Knicks center Andrea Bargnani (77) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

So too, when the Nets traded for Joe Johnson, Prokhorov made it crystal clear what exactly he wanted: Star power. An aging Johnson on a monster six-year, $123.7 million contract doesn’t exactly represent a sound investment, yet the Nets forfeited five players and a first round pick for him.

And while Johnson has registered some impressive individual feats since arriving in Brookyn, the former Atlanta Hawks swingman has been unsuccessful in aiding the Nets in their goal for an NBA title. Having been seduced by his six All-Star Game appearances and enviable scoring ability, Brooklyn pulled the trigger on a move many NBA executives would likely deem unwise.

Dec 23, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets small forward Joe Johnson (7) looks on from the bench against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets small forward Joe Johnson (7) looks on from the bench against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks are two of the most profitable franchises in American sports, which makes their constant failures on the basketball court infinitely more mind boggling. However, upon further inspection, their deficiencies can be associated with a major fatal flaw: Arrogance.

The two sides entered their prospective rivalry under the assumption that success was simply a given.

Being from New York and all, how could it not be? All they had to do was stockpile as many big names as possible, thus creating two super teams that would dominate the NBA based on talent alone.

Take a look at both teams today. The Nets recently reassigned Billy King and fired Lionel Hollins after months of ineptitude, further adding the their already hazy future.

The Knicks are beginning to display promise behind Porzingis and a reinvigorated Carmelo Anthony, although there is a long road ahead before they can emulate some of the teams that made them such a big deal in New York to begin with.

These two glamour franchises of the NBA are simply unglamorous at the current moment, and there’s still a long way to go before either will be able to step in to the forefront of the league.