With much fanfare, the Brooklyn Nets unveiled their new logo and colors on Monday morning, despite the face that the black and white shield had made the rounds on Twitter, Facebook and Brooklyn blogs and news sites last week. (Also read our story on the leaked new Brooklyn Nets logo)
“Hello Brooklyn! I’ve been waiting a long time to say that,” Center Brook Lopez said at the team’s formal logo unveiling press conference taking place at Modell’s Sporting Goods at Flatbush Avenue, across the street from Nets’ new home, Barclays Center. 
The conference was filled with reporters, photographers and Nets fans. The Nets gave out opening game tickets to the first 100 people, so the line began forming about eight hours before the doors opened.
“Today is a great day for Brooklyn!” said Bruce Ratner, who is the real estate developer and minority owner who was the catalyst behind the team’s relocation. “It’s taken 10 years, but they are officially the Brooklyn Nets.”
The Nets will have a black and white color scheme, making it the only team in the NBA with black and white as its team colors. The new logo is shaped like a shield. Inside the shield, the team’s name is spelled out above a basketball, which has a capital B on it. Below the shield, Brooklyn is printed.
The Nets say the logo and color scheme were designed by minority owner hip hop megastar Jay-Z and inspired by the New York City Transit Authority subway signs from 1957,when Brooklyn last had a professional team, the Dodgers.
“Just like Brooklyn is different than anywhere in the world we will be the lone NBA team with only black and white as colors,” said Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “As we are entering a new era for this team we knew that we had one chance and one chance only to make it work, and we were thrilled with the results.”
After losing 70 games in the 2009-10 season, the team moved out from the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. And now they are moving to their new home in Brooklyn — the $1 billion Barclays Center. They are hoping the new home will bring them new energy and good luck.
“Hopefully, around this time next year you guys will be at our press conference for the 2013 playoffs,” Avery Johnson, the head couch of the Nets, said.
Sanford Lapsley is a Nets fan from Queens. He came to Brooklyn to witness the end of an old era and a beginning of a new era.
“I love the new logo color! It’s black and white. There is no gray with Nets fans,” Lapsley said. “You can’t be in the middle with that!”
Maurice Edwards was born and raised in Brooklyn. He bought several new Nets logo shirts and jackets on this special day.
“I was one of the people who have waited for the past eight years to see this new Barclays Center and this Brooklyn Project!” Edwards said. “It’s almost thrilled to hold a new Brooklyn Nets jersey and jacket.”
“We’ve been talking about it, but now the reality is we are the Brooklyn Nets,” Billy King, the general manage of the Nets said. “The arena is on schedule. It’s going to be one of the best arenas in the league.”
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