Windhorst: Nets Have 'Little Brother Syndrome'

The two NBA teams residing in New York had opposite levels of success this past season, with the Brooklyn Nets finishing with just 20 victories, and the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship.

Of course, the Nets were not expected to compete for a championship, but it continues to play into the narrative that Brooklyn is the "little brother" in the state.

Last Sunday, ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst joined The Hoop Collective, where he addressed the recent controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers and potential salary cap circumvention.

"The Clippers are going through the same thing the Nets were, they have little brother syndrome," Windhorst said. "They both were so focused on not being the little brother anymore that they took way too big of gambles."

Windhorst went on to reference the methods Nets ownership used upon the move, mentioning the "Jay-Z billboards" posted outside of Madison Square Garden.

Since that time, both New York franchises have had their fair shares of ups and downs, but the Knicks of course climbed to the pinnacle this past season.

For current Nets owner Joe Tsai, the Knicks' championship was "embarrassing," telling NetsDaily that it "doesn't make us feel very good" and "irates our fan base."

Tsai later confirmed that the Knicks' success has not strayed the organization from their rebuilding trajectory and feels confident that the Nets are on the right track.

But, it is still difficult to keep a fan base engaged and interested when the other team down the block is experiencing so much success.

As far as a potential return to New Jersey or relocation goes, it seems unlikely, as the franchise has taken huge strides off the court to increase value.

One of the original arguments for majority owner Bruce Ratner to move the team back in 2012 was the opportunity to move into a larger media market and target a more-lucrative demographic.

Since that time, the Nets have turned into the tenth-highest valued team among the league, valuing in at $6 billion.

In New Jersey, the team was one of the bottom-ten NBA franchises as far as value.

One big reason for the Nets' financial success is their lucrative deal with YES Network - the same media group who also covers the New York Yankees, Liberty and New York City FC.

The franchise also took some major swings in the early 2020s, forming the super team of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden and becoming one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

In the 2021 season, the Nets were the second-most popular team merchandise purchase in the league, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers. That season, the Knicks did not even crack the top-10.

So, at the end of the day, success and having big-time players and personalities for fans to cheer for is what matters.

The Nets are hoping rookie point guard Mikel Brown Jr. can grow into one of these franchise pieces, and help the Nets compete for relevance in the Big Apple once again.