Nets-Knicks

Being the casual fan/non-fan of the NBA that I am, I bring the same x's & o's knowledge as the average bellied-up-to-the-bar blowhard when it comes to pro hoops. But as a lifelong consumer of backpage NY tabloid reporting, I've got some insight when it comes to Gotham sports rivalries. And I like what's developing here.

Let's face it, Knicks-Nets has had very little juice until the Brooklyn move. Both teams were rarely good at the same time. Enter a Russian billionaire, Jay-Z, and a new arena, and all of sudden, there was a little spark to the rivalry. Then you get the re-awakening of a sense of parochialism from the residents of Kings County, a sense long dormant, almost forgotten. That the most populous borough could compete in the bigs against the corporate suits from Manhattan. The populist vs elitist vibe started to take hold.

But the best news (for those of us who simply enjoy conflict) is how Billy King and his Precious Metals Tsar are now poking sticks in the eyes of the Knicks and their fans. Villan #1 for the Knicks the past few years has been K.G., mister "Honey Nut Cheerios" himself. The Nets acquire him. It's pretty clear they're doing it as much for his bad attitude as the hoops.

Meanwhile, Knicks fans have been calling 660 and lamenting--"Where's the toughness on our team? These guys are soft. We'd better re-sign Kenyon Martin who was the only one fighting for rebounds in the playoffs..." Yes, that's the same K Mart who was signed mid-season on a 10-day contract or something ridiculous like that.

So what do the Nets do? Reach out to K Mart to gauge interest in joining Brooklyn for the 2013/14 season. He's a replaceable part at this stage in his career. You won't convince me this isn't being done just as a shot across Cablevision's bow.

Hey Dolan, Prokhorov doesn't have some cushy utility pseudo-monopoly. He can't maintain his great wealth with the occasional political donation to desperate and shallow city and county officials. This guy's got to deal with the wild west. Government being run by the (former?) KGB, a place where you cross the wrong line and you wind up drinking liquid plutonium for breakfast. This guy's got to keep his friends close and his enemies closer, all while trading in metals with extreme price volatility--a far cry from, "please pay us another $149 for your ongoing service."

Look out Mr. Dolan, the Nets are coming for you.