The Brooklyn Nets Have A Cool New Baseline That’s A Tribute To The NYC Subway

The NBA preseason is under way, and with our first taste of basketball, we’ve been treated to our first look at a couple of design changes in the NBA. On the heels of the Milwaukee Bucks’ new designs, the next reveal is a new baseline image for the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s a lovely nod to the signature tile mosaics in New York City subway stations, an example of which is at the top of this post. The Nets have been in Brooklyn for three years now, which is not enough time to sufficiently grow roots, especially with the Knicks around (though they have some great fans, many of them are holdovers from the New Jersey days). Tapping into a common pride of all New Yorkers — the wonderful subway system — is a good way of grounding the team in the aesthetics of the city. And it further enhances what was already one of the prettiest home courts in the league, what with the parquet hardwood.

Sadly, the beauty of the court will likely outstrip the brand of basketball being played on it, as the Nets don’t look likely to compete in the Eastern Conference.