50 Things You Should Know About the Brooklyn Nets
Training camp starts in just over two weeks. Major league sports are back in Brooklyn for the first time in over 50 years. Are you up on your Brooklyn Nets? Here’re just a few things you might not already know about the Nets…
NO. 1 The “hello Brooklyn” shirt Nets merch is full of references to Brooklyn hip-hop. A “Hello Brooklyn” shirt pays tribute to the Beastie Boys, along with a “Sure Shot” sign. There’s a shout out to Biggie’s “Juicy” and several items with references to Jay-Z lyrics (obviously).
NO. 2 Reggie Evans’S nickname is “Joker.”
NO. 3 He Also idolized Michael Jordan as a kid (join the club).
NO. 4 Kris Humphries held the United States record for both 50m and 100m freestyle in boys 10 & under for the 1995-1996 season. FACT: Michael Phelps didn’t. (He did beat Kris in the 100m freestyle once, though.) Humphries stopped swimming at age 12 to pursue a career in basketball and a celebrity marriage.
NO.5 Kris Humphries = The Most Disliked Player. According to a study published on
Forbes.com, in 2011 Kris Humphries was “the most disliked player in Basketball,” proving that you can’t break a Kardashian’s heart without consequences.
NO. 6 Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor, the lowest paid players on the team, will each make $473,604 in the 2012-2013 season. Joe Johnson will make $19,752,654.
NO. 7 While an Atlanta Hawk, Joe Johnson (#7) hosted a yearly holiday event for the Boys & Girls Club. He called it “JJ’s Santa-Lanta for Kids.”
NO. 8 According to ads put up by the Nets, Brook Lopez (#11) is “Batman’s biggest fan,” and Gerald Wallace (#45) is an offseason fisherman.
NO. 9 Not all Brooklyn Nets marry Kardashians. Forward Shelden Williams (#33) is married to WNBA star (and Olympian!) Candace Parker, who was also the first woman ever to win a slam dunk contest.
NO. 10 Williams was also a member of the National Honors Society. [UPDATE: Shelden Williams signed a professional contract in France, on August 28th, after the print issue in which this story first appeared went to press]
NO. 11 Jerry Stackhouse eats gummy bears before games. It’s what his Mom gave him in high school.
NO. 12 Stackhouse will also be the first athlete to wear the number 42 in Brooklyn since Jackie Robinson, his idol. That’s pretty cool.
