Brooklyn Nets seeking local bragging rights against Knicks

He has yet to be officially introduced to the blossoming rivalry, aside from occasional barbs from fellow Georgia Tech product Iman Shumpert, the Knicks' athletic third-year guard.

So there's a part of Jarrett Jack that is anticipating his first foray into the battle for local bragging rights, the latest chapter of which takes place Friday night when the Nets (2-2) host the Knicks (2-3).

"You know me and him have been talking a lot and all summer about it," Jack said Thursday at an NBA event in Long Island City, where the Nets worked at City Harvest with military members to help sort, pack and distribute food donations to needy families. "It's going to be like high school, that school you are going to play that's around the corner or up the street. It's just y'all are just too close for comfort, so it just breeds good competition."

Not to mention a different vibe in the Nets' own billion-dollar edifice. Continuing a trend that traces to the Nets' days in the New Jersey swamps, Knicks fans consistently show up in flocks whenever these teams meet, and it creates an electric atmosphere.

The players are aware of it.

"It's always different," Nets center Brook Lopez said. "There's always a lot of Knicks fans in there, so the fans get going at each other. Usually, the spectators come to watch us play. But a lot of us are watching the fans go at it during the game."

The Nets haven't given their fans much to cheer about against the Knicks. In eight meetings since they moved to Brooklyn, the Nets have won only three times -- and only once at home, with that overtime victory coming nearly two years ago in the first month of their inaugural season in the borough.

Still, Deron Williams has watched the Nets' popularity increase. "It's grown every year as we gained more fans throughout the city and Brooklyn," Williams said after Wednesday's 98-91 loss to the Timberwolves.

"It's taken on life. We definitely get up to play those guys and I'm sure they get up to play us. So we are looking forward to it.''

Said Lopez: "I'm sure everyone will be up for the game and it would be fun to go out and beat them."

Living in the greater metropolitan area all these years, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has as good an idea of the city's pro basketball vibe as anyone. Witnessing the increased exposure the Nets have gained is gratifying, knowing that it's raised the stakes for both sides in a way. The fans, Silver noted, are the ones who benefit most.

"We continue to build interest in basketball in this community," Silver said, "and I think by having two New York City teams -- not one team in New Jersey and one team in Manhattan -- it adds to sort of the interest generally in the game in New York. And we are seeing it, I think, in many ways.''

"The Brooklyn Nets are exceeding expectations. I think the popularity of the Barclays Center, I think New Yorkers are seeing the ease of getting to Barclays because of the multi subway lines and LIRR that converge right under the building.

"I think people are seeing it's a first-class experience in there, and not to take anything away from the Knicks. They invested a billion dollars in transforming Madison Square Garden. So it's in fairly close proximity. It's two really great basketball experiences, and I think we are seeing the responses from the fans."