The Brooklyn Nets already had one of the sharpest court designs in the NBA.
However, they felt it was time for an upgrade — and they went gray.
It’s bold, not traditional, I’m curious how it looks on a broadcast, but the new look kind of works. It feels very Brooklyn.
The colors of our new floor, weathered wood and concrete gray, represent playground courts throughout the borough; the brownstone-lined streets and Brooklyn’s industrial foundation. The palette engrains the grit and determination of Brooklyn into our playing surface. pic.twitter.com/S5tRw5TOzP
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 23, 2019
The maple hardwood retains the signature herringbone pattern that ties back to the Nets’ unique original court design. pic.twitter.com/ZcV3eOejt5
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 23, 2019
Inspired by the borough. Built for the borough.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 23, 2019
Introducing our first fully redesigned court of the Brooklyn era 🎥 pic.twitter.com/NKilJhu9u0
But [General Manager Sean] Marks wanted change, to put his artistic imprint on the franchise he has helped reinvent, and he had a radical idea: a gray floor meant to evoke blacktop courts, the streets of Brooklyn, and the borough’s “industrial vibe,” he says. Gray has been on the fringes of the team’s Brooklyn-era palette, including on the alternate Brooklyn Dodgers-themed uniforms they wore in past seasons.
Everything Marks and the Nets’ creative team toyed with from there centered around gray. It was a risk -- an unknown. The NBA says it has never had an all-gray court, though a few teams -- the New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and others -- have shaded enlarged logos and landscapes into sections of their floors...
There was no pushback. The league liked the idea right away, Marks says.With Kyrie Irving trying to lead an intriguing young core — and Kevin Durant maybe coming back before the playoffs — the Nets are going to be a team to watch this season. We’re going to see a lot of that gray floor, we’ll see how it grows on us.
