Knick fans take over Jersey home

Knick fans take over Jersey home

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

The Knicks feel right at home posting a win in New Jersey and the same should be true after Nets move to Brooklyn.

Mikhail Prokhorov once said hed turn Knicks fans into Nets fans. Its safe to say none of the thousands were swayed Wednesday night in Newark.

MELO LEADS KNICKS PAST NETS AT THE ROCK

The New Jersey Nets met the Knicks for the last time in front of a crowd similar to those of their previous 166 matchups: heavy on the Knicks fans.

Blue jerseys flooded the Prudential Center an hour before tipoff. The fans cheered wildly for the road team, chanting MVP for Carmelo Anthony when he was at the foul line. They booed the home team, especially Kris Humphries, and jeered Gerald Wallace when he stepped to the line.

Jason Kidd had a philosophy about this: Win and allegiances will change. They didnt. Now the struggling Nets 22-41 after the 104-95 defeat are clearly facing an uphill battle for New York fan support ahead of their move to Brooklyn.

The nights where there are more fans for the opposing team than ours wont happen in Brooklyn, Nets CEO Brett Yormark told the Daily News. Well have diehard fans that are going to grow up as Brooklyn Nets fans.

Linsanity demonstrated the enormous depth of the Knicks support, and Wednesday nights blue parade was further evidence. But Yormark, citing the power of Brooklyn, said he isnt concerned about snatching New York fans.

Brooklyn, with 2.6 million people, they want their home team, Yormark said following three home games against the Celtics, Heat and Knicks that brought a lopsided amount of support for the opposition. The brand Brooklyn has incredible power. It truly does. And wearing Brooklyn on our jerseys is going to mean a lot to everybody in that borough.

(New Jersey) is totally different deal. Weve been catering to the casual fan in New Jersey the last couple of years. With all due respect and defense of New Jersey fans, were on our way out. So I can understand why they dont have the level of fandom for our franchise that they once had.

Still, Yormark admitted, the product on the court is critical to forcing out the opposing fans.

Thats coach Avery Johnsons department. And with the teams best players becoming free agents after the season Humphries, Deron Williams, Wallace and Brook Lopez the future seems as unsure as the N ew Jersey fan base.

I think were not really competing for the affection of the Knicks fans, Johnson said. I think Im trying to compete where were trying to win an NBA championship. If we can ever get back to being a perennial playoff team and have a chance to be a championship team, I think the support for our team will rise.