The Brooklyn Nets solidified their commitment to Kings County on Wednesday afternoon when they unveiled the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Training Center. Moving their practice facilities from East Rutherford, New Jersey to Sunset Park, the Nets have now moved their entire organization to the borough.
Located just a few stops from the Barclays Center, the 70,000 square foot facility is on the eighth floor and rooftop of a historic waterfront warehouse in Industry City on 39th Street and the Sunset Park waterfront with a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline. The facility also boasts state-of-the-art world-class amenities including two full basketball courts, a weight room, a training pool and two hydro pools, a rooftop entertainment space, an 18-seat multimedia theater, 3,000 square feet of hospitality/players’ lounge space, and a media interview/workroom.”
“We want this center to play a very important role for the community. It will be used for public services, for business networking and of course for sport clinics,” said Nets and Barclays Center Owner Mikhail Prokhorov during the opening festivities for the training facility.
Also on hand was Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said the training center is not only a big deal fro Brooklyn, but will play a key role in promoting the city as a whole. He also spoke about the impact that the Brooklyn Nets have had on the Big Apple.
“Ever since the Nets have come here it has brought a lot of pride to Brooklyn and all of New York City. You see the caps, you see the t-shirts and it has been something that is adding to the sense that Brooklyn is a an extraordinary place that is getting better all the time. And that’s true for what the Nets have done for the whole city as well,” he said.
Also on hand was reliable big man and face of the franchise Brook Lopez. Lopez discussed the the authenticity of the “Hello Brooklyn” slogan that the Nets have been using since arriving in Kings County. “Now we’re finally all in with Brooklyn. We can say “Hello Brooklyn” and mean it”.
In what has been a very rough season for the whole franchise, Wednesday brought some much needed positive vibes to a borough and a franchise that is anticipating success in the near future. As questions will linger until the off-season about the direction of this team one thing is certain, the Nets are all in with Brooklyn and will continue to become a key part of the Borough’s blossoming infrastructure.
After enjoying the last couple off days off for the NBA All Star break, the Nets will be back in action at Barclays Center on Friday night when they host their crosstown foes, the New York Knicks.
