Carmelo Anthony Wraps Up China Tour With Furry Friend

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony just wrapped up his promotional excursion through China, as part of the Jordan Brand Flight Tour, and made a new friend he tried to bring back to New York City with him.  Sadly for Knicks fans, it wasn't New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul.

The Knicks forward posted a picture of himself holding a cuddly panda bear on his Twitter account--and, although David Stern comes to mind, no it wasn't him.

'Melo, Paul and Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade just finished a week-long, four-city itinerary of China for the Jordan brand; which celebrates basketball in local communities.  The three NBA stars made stops at basketball camps and skills clinics to sign autographs and promote the game-- and the Michael Jordan sneakers over 300 million basketball fans will see and now be screaming for.

The big-three were treated like rock-stars and mobbed by thousands of screaming fans.  Yao Ming, you did a good job of bringing the NBA to the people's Republic.

The Knicks star and his fellow good will ambassadors each had their own shoes to promote for the tour.  Anthony's was called "Explosive" and based on a Chinese opera.

No word yet if Anthony signed with a Chinese team or if he and the free-agent-to-be Paul discussed the possibility of playing together for the Knicks.

Mark Jackson On Long List To Replace Walsh As Knicks GM

Mark Jackson, the former NBA point guard and current analyst for ESPN and ABC, is having his name bandied about once again for the position of general manager of an NBA franchise.  This time, New York's favorite son, Jackson was on the list of GM candidates to assume control of the New York Knicks for departing team President and GM Donnie Walsh.  According to reports, Walsh submitted Jackson's name to owner James Dolan a month and a half ago.

Since 2007, Jackson's name pops up every time there is an opening in an NBA front office or head coaching position and he has still yet to take one of the jobs.  The New York-bred Jackson would be a lot more welcome at Madison Square Garden than Knicks boomerang Isiah Thomas.  Thomas' shadow is always lurking behind Dolan.

Jackson's name has already been tossed around this year for GM positions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and he is considered a finalist for the Golden State Warriors head-coaching job.

The former Knicks guard had been mentioned as a candidate for the Memphis Grizzlies GM post in 2007 and the Atlanta Hawks last season and has yet to leave the broadcast booth.

The question that is louder than an NCAA women's softball game is why is Jackson in such high demand?

There is no question about Jackson's NBA pedigree.  He was the 18th pick coming out of St. John's and was Rookie-of-the-Year with the Knicks in 1987.  In his 17-year career, Jackson acquired the third highest career assists total and was known as a tremendous leader on the floor.  He even led the sickly Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs...twice! 

The 46 year-old Jackson has the court savvy and intellect only an all-time NBA player could gather and has become one of the finest analysts on television--in any sport.  The problem, naysayers always bring up, is Jackson's lack any front office or coaching experience whatsoever.



There must be something behind Jackson's curt assessment of what he sees on the court which gets NBA teams' hearts aflutter whenever an opening arises.

Nobody knows the NBA as well as Jackson.  After all, Jackson's calls a game like he played it--back to the basket, dribbling, slowly pushing his way to the hoop, then finishing with a flair.  They instituted "the five-second rule" because of his get-off-my-back style and it still goes by the "Mark Jackson Rule."

Maybe teams believe Jackson's playing traits and smarts, which made Jackson's transition into a formidable analyst look easy, are the same intangibles which bring success to a GM or coach--even without management experience.

Could Jackson help the Knicks?  It could be a rough ride for the Knicks and their fans.  Walsh's sudden, but not totally unexpected, departure has left a big void.  The team sold playoff tickets for the first time in seven years and, although the Boston Celtics brought broomsticks, there was an exciting buzz around the Garden once again.

Stability and a young guard could take the team to the next level in 2012 said the believers.  The Knicks then suckered wishful fans into paying more money for their seats next year.  But even more frightening to the fans than that 49% rise in ticket prices is the possible resurrection of Dolan's lap-dog Thomas.

Yesterday, Thomas said words that sent chills all throughout the Knicks nation.  When asked if he would return, Thomas grinned and said, "Never say never about anything.  All my doors are open."

That sound you just heard was 19,000 fans--including Spike Lee--nailing the Garden's entrances shut.

Jackson may not be a front-runner for any GM position and rolling the dice on a front office newbie is a risky venture especially for the Knicks right now.  But it's about time he took one of the offers and put to rest any questions of whether or not he is capable of running the show.

The only qualms holding him back in New York might be personal grudges he has against the Knicks organization.

In 1992, New York traded the popular Knick to, what was then, an eternity in hell--or more commonly known as the Los Angeles Memorial Sport Arena--home of the Clippers.  Fast forward seventeen years, when the Knicks needed a head coach, and opted for Mike D'Antoni.  Jackson was a little peeved after he found out his name was listed as number three on the Knicks coaching wish list.

When Walsh wanted to hire another St. John's star Chris Mullin as his GM last year, the idea was shot down by Dolan because it was rumored that the owner still had the hots for Thomas.  Chances are, he still does. 

Funny, that prophet who miscalculated the day of reckoning changed the new day of Rapture to October 21.  Isn't that the first day of the Knicks season?

Amar'e Stoudemire To Produce Hollywood Fright Flick

Amar'e Stoudemire must be counting on an NBA lockout next season.  It's not like the New York Knicks forward doesn't already have enough projects on his plate, but now you can add the title of film producer to his resume.  The Knicks star will be going Hollywood and producing "The Strangers 2," a sequel to the scary 2008 original "The Strangers."

No, the followup isn't about Isiah Thomas returning to the front office or the playoff sweep by the Boston Celtics--even thought both of those story-lines are pretty spooky to Knicks fans.

Stoudemire is in talks with Relativity Media honcho Ryan Kavanuagh to executive produce "The Strangers 2."  In other words, Stoudemire is putting money into the production and will get a director's chair with his name on it.



The original film was a $9 million production which grossed over $80 million worldwide.  It starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a young couple terrorized by three weirdos in masks.

The 6'10' Stoudemire talked about his new venture at a party in Manhattan.  "Ever see 'The Strangers?'  It's a scary movie...It's crazy," he said.  Cue the slasher music.

Relativity Media has also backed and distributed other films including "Bridemaids," "The Fighter" and "The Social Network."

Stoudemire hasn't been idle or laying low this off-season.  He is currently filming "Entourage" in Los Angeles and recently filmed a cameo in Garry Marshall's "New Year's Eve" in New York City.

Not only is the Knicks star giving James Franco a run as the busiest guy in Hollywood, he is launching a clothing line with Rachel Roy this fall.  Did I mention, he's a rapper too.  Who isn't these days.

If Stoudemire really wants to be Cecil B. DeMille and  produce a blockbuster, he should get Chris Paul to join Carmelo Anthony and himself on the New York Knicks.  Stoudemire could call it "Three Amigos 2."

That's something New Yorkers would kiss him "on the veranda" for.  Okay, the lips would be fine.

A-Rod's Speeding Ticket Yanked By NYPD

A serious claim, made by sources involved in the New York Police Department's ongoing ticket-fixing scandal, accuses officers of burying a speeding ticket New York Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez got in 2009.

According to the New York Daily News, former-Yankees team owner George Steinbrenner was also a beneficiary of  mishandled summonses.

The NYPD ticket-fixing probe has widened in the past few weeks.  Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has extended the probe after the initial drug investigation concentrated on only one precinct but has now mushroomed into a wide-spread scandal.  It now involves over 100 cops and their superiors in various station houses.

Two sources said A-Rod was pulled over for hot-rodding on the West Side Highway around 57th Street two years ago.  He was issued a speeding ticket by a highway cop, but an NYPD sergeant had it disappear.



According to the Daily News, three sources gave accounts of numerous politicians and celebrities having summonses squashed.

"It was very easy for a big name to walk away from a summons," one source said.  "[Celebrities] have contacts everywhere.  There's an eagerness to help because of who they are."

Steinbrenner, according to the source, used his influence to get rid of tickets for friends and family many times over the years.

The practice was so blatant, some celebrities were bold enough to have representatives call Police Headquarters, outright, and ask to get their clients tickets fixed.

The sources claim rapper Jay-Z's driver was also nabbed for speeding in almost the exact spot as A-Rod.  The paperwork was "lost" and the case never saw the day of light.  The cop must have been in an Empire State of Mind.

Even former-Knick and current-Denver Nugget Raymond Felton was called for a moving violation outside Madison Square Garden and it disappeared faster than the Knicks against the Celtics.

The long-standing practice of NYPD cops  fixing tickets was always considered a professional courtesy and not a crime.  Up to 40 cops are now facing departmental charges for fixing the tickets for cash or gifts.

Spokespersons for Rodriguez, the Yankees or the Knicks had no comment about the allegations or if they were part of the Bronx grand jury probe.

I'm just wondering if Mets owner Fred Wilpon would be able to talk his way out of a speeding ticket these days.  He has such a special way with words.

New Jersey Nets: Kiss Those Forty-Three Cent Seats Goodbye

New Jersey Nets tickets went on sale yesterday for their future home in Brooklyn.  The long delayed Barclays Center is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012 and start hosting the Nets that season.  The team is offering  a variety of "All-Access" seating packages which run from $99 (in the lower deck) to $1500 (courtside) per game.  The team's new slogan should be "Come For Vujacic; Stay For A Kardashian."

The Nets are offering the few die-hard season-ticket holders first crack at the 4,000 All-Access premium seats which offer perks like unlimited food and soft drinks, private entrances, concierge service and early access to the arena.

If you are one of those Nets fans, in the witness protection program at Newark's Prudential Center, and are used to snagging a 43-cent ticket on StubHub, fugeddaboudit.  There will be 2,000 tickets priced about $15 at the team's new location, but the chances of snagging a bargain-basement Nets ticket for the newer and trendier Brooklyn locale will be out of the question---no matter how bad the team is.

The flash factor alone will go through the fast-rising roof top.  The Knicks may boast their Big-Three, but the Nets have Jay-Z.  The rap star mogul and a state-of-the-art arena.  That means Beyonce and a slew of celebrities not named Woody, Dustin or Spike.  The curiosity factor will draw new Nets fans in droves, even if the 43-cent tickets will have as much of a chance as a Net victory.

Years of legal haggling and zoning red-tape had turned the 18,000-seat Barclays Center project into a construction quagmire even the woeful Nets front office couldn't get into.  But it was the Nets image which has really gotten stuck in the mud.

New majority owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, and his partner, Jay-Z, took over a team that hadn't contended since 2006-07 season and failed to land a big-name player last year.  Deron Williams is a start.

The Nets watched as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony played footsie with the Nets big aspirations, only to be left at the PATH station.  The Knicks had the hubris to taunt their incoming rivals by placing a billboard of their prized player, Amar'e Stoudemire, staring down at the giant hole at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic--the site of the Nets new home.

The Nets are counting on luring fans, new and old,  by not charging personal-seating licenses. They said the All-Access deals are just as good and will allow purchasers first-shot at buying tickets for other non-Nets events like concerts and boxing matches.

"I think this is the best entertainment buy in all of New York," claims Brett Yormark Nets CEO, "Especially when factoring the ability to see top acts like Madonna before tickets hit the secondary market."

If you are a Nets fan, that is definitely a perk---maybe the highlight of the deal---especially when you have to commit to purchasing the locked-in priced seats for the first three years. 

The average price of a current Nets ticket is $60---one of the lowest in the league.  The new average price at the Barclays Center will be around $132--more than the Knicks current average ticket price of $88 and one of the highest in the league.

The Nets cross-borough rivals price will be rising next season after the Knicks announced a 49% increase to cover the on-going renovations at Madison Square Garden. 

The Los Angeles Lakers currently get an average price of $113 per seat--the costliest ticket in the league.

It's hard to believe the Nets, in their inaugural season will be getting more than Kobe and company, but if more money means more wins...Go Kris Humphries.

Patrick Ewing: If Only I Had a Carmelo...

Patrick Ewing claims current New York Knicks super-star Amar'e Stoudemire has an easier road to an NBA title than he did because none of his teammates were as good as Carmelo Anthony.

According to the New York Post, Ewing thinks he could have won a championship if former Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld and Garden president Davis Checketts had brought in a better supporting cast.

The 11-time All-Star was asked who was the best player he ever played alongside with and Ewing replied," Second best teammate?  John Starks, Allan [Houston], Spree [Latrell Spreewell], Oak [Charles Oakley].  But they're not Carmelo"

While Ewing, an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, may be endearing himself to the current Knicks team, it sounds like a jab at the former Knicks management for his brilliant, but NBA Championship-less career.  It sounds like he wrongly took the blame for the lack of an NBA title because he didn't have his own second fiddle.

Ewing is on the short list of Knicks head coaching prospects if current coach, Mike D'Antoni fails and believes the current Knicks brass is on the right track by bringing in an additional super-star like Anthony mid-way through the season to compliment Stoudemire--a perk he never had.

Yesterday, Ewing professed his admiration of Anthony before the Magic's 116-110 victory in Orlando.

"A great player. A great player," Ewing said.  "New York hasn't had two bona fide superstars since Willis [Reed] and Earl [Monroe] and Clyde [Frazier].  Those guys are two bona fide superstars."

The closest Ewing ever got to getting an NBA Championship ring was in 1994.  After battling center Hakeem Olajuwon and leading the Houston Rockets, 3-2, Ewing's second-banana, Starks, went ice-cold and shot 2-for-18 in game seven while the Knicks wilted away.  It still burns at Ewing.

"I can't worry about that now," said Ewing.  "I've been retired 100 years.  It feels like 100 years."

The Hall-of-Famer had a lot of good things to say about the third part of the Knicks Big-Three, Chauncey Billups.

"Everyone kept talking about him as a throw-in," Ewing said.  People overlooked him when he first started.  He's played great games. He's won championships."

While Ewing was surrounded by rugged lunch-buckets players like Starks and Oakley during his playing days, he now says he would have welcomed an offensive super-star player like Anthony and advises Stoudemire to count his blessings.

Ewing believes Stoudemire and 'Melo can co-exist in New York.  "They both have to share it, he stressed.  "You can't worry about it.  The city's big enough.  There's enough spotlight to go around."

That spotlight was always shining on Ewing during his 15 seasons at Madison Square Garden and it highlights his retired #33 jersey hanging from it's rafters.

Listening to him reminisce, it sounds like Ewing wishes he had someone to share the limelight with back then.

Knicks Introduce 'Melo; Dolan: Isiah Participation "Fiction in some one's mind"

At 5:22 p.m. tonight, Carmelo Anthony was introduced to fans as a New York Knick for the first time.  The former-Denver Nugget stood alongside another former-Nugget, and new Knicks point guard, Chauncey Billups at a press conference at Madison Square Garden.

Anthony and Billups wore Knick warm up sweats and were introduced by Knicks owner James Dolan, who reiterated his statement that he, Knicks' head coach Mike D'Antoni and Knicks' president Donnie Walsh all worked in unison to land the 26 year-old superstar.

Dolan repeated what he said earlier that Isiah Thomas--who is in his second season as coach of Florida International University's men's basketball team-- had nothing to do with the Knicks getting Carmelo Anthony.  "It is untrue and fiction in some one's mind," stressed Dolan.

Last week Dolan, miffed by reports of Thomas' involvement in the dealing, said,"I'm assuming Isiah is getting ready for the NCAA Tournament.  That's what I'm assuming."

The low-key press conference was slowed by a group photo-op with Anthony, Billups, Dolan, D'Antoni and Walsh before it was crashed by Knicks' star player Amar'e Stoudemire.

The Knicks own version of the Big 3 stood together in public as New York Knicks for the first time as Stoudemire smiled for photos alongside Anthony and Billups.

It's Legends Night at the Garden tonight, but most eyes will be on the new #7 as Anthony makes his debut.  Tickets are going for up to five times face value.

Anthony said he was happy to be back home. "New York needed a moment like this," he said.  "New York basketball is back."

The former Red Hook schoolboy continued by saying, "At the end of the day I'm going in the right direction."  It's a dream come true and I'm ready to rock."

"This was about sitting down with my family and deciding New York was the place to bring my talent," he said.

Dolan said Walsh did a good job of making the trade with the Nuggets and made it sound like his job as president was secure.  "We wanted to wait until the trade deadline before talking about his [Walsh] contract which ends in JUNE!"  Emphasis on June was Dolan's.

Tonight, the new Knicks' Big 3 heads onto the Garden floor for the first time as teammates in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

There have been too few big moments at Madison Square Garden in recent years.  First, it was Stoudemire, now comes 'Melo.

For once, it's one big happy family at the corner of 33rd and Seventh Avenue.

Madison Square Garden Literally Putting Fans On Top of the Game

By Tony Mangia

Madison Square Garden is bridging the gap between fans and the teams they root for.  No, James Dolan isn't stepping down.  If hazardous material falling from the attic last month didn't scare you away from the rafters of the arena MSG has announced, as part of it's four-year, $775 million renovation, it is adding two spectator bridges which pass over the center of the arena and let fans look down onto the court or ice.

 The spans will give a whole new perspective to watching hockey and basketball.  The innovative walkways will be 200 feet long and hover 65 feet above the players below.  They will run the length of the refurbished Garden and be accessible to any ticketholder inside.

The artist's rendering of the cutting-edge design shows table and chairs scattered among strolling fans with a bird's-eye of a Rangers hockey game. MSG said there will be concession stands and fans will be able to spend as much time as they want on the unique attraction.

The "World's Most Famous Arena" will be completely modernized after 42 years at it's current location according to Garden officials.

MSG president, Hank Ratner, compared the revolutionary design to the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park.  "They'll be like no other seats in professional sports or entertainment," he bragged.

The two spans will join New York City's other spectacular bridges and construction is expected to be completed in October 2013, before the Knicks and Rangers seasons begin.

Isiah Thomas Is Hazardous To Knicks

By Tony Mangia

Name two hazardous materials which appeared in the New York air last week and disrupted the Knicks week.  If you said asbestos you are correct but if you added Isiah Thomas you are a true blue Knickerbocker fan.

After last week's asbestos scare at Madison Square Garden postponed Tuesday night game against Orlando, Thomas, currently the head basketball coach at Florida International University, did a one-hour, commercial-free phone interview with  Michael Kay on ESPN radio.  Zeke professed his desire to become a part of the Knicks organization--once again. Knicks insiders took it as an attempt by Thomas to promote himself in an attempt to take over team president Donnie Walsh's job when he retires.

Walsh is recovering from spinal-cord surgery and is in the option year of his contract.  The contract can be renewed by owner James Dolan in March.  When asked about leaving, Walsh responded hastily," When I hear the word retirement, it's a choice I make!"

Walsh had been planning for the future though. He had been trying to hire former St. John's All- American Chris Mullin for the past two years in preparation for a successor after he left.  Dolan would not approve the hiring because he felt there were already a couple of candidates in waiting--Glen Grunfeld and John Gabriel.

Mullin, meanwhile, didn't wait around and last week took a job as an NBA in-studio commentator at ESPN where he can now complement his former teammate, Mark Jackson.  Jackson, with his real-as-a-schoolyard-foul game calling, is regarded as one of the best basketball analysts on TV while Mullin, with his gym-rat perspective and Canarsie accent, will be a nice bookend for his fellow New Yorker.

This brings everything back to Thomas, like he has a knack of doing.  The ex-Piston says he would be content in the role of a Knicks consultant.  He was hired in that position by the Knicks in August but was forced down after NBA bylaws forbid college coaches to hold an NBA job at the same time. How long has Zeke been in the league?  Doesn't Thomas have a clue about rules and conflict-of-interest regulations? 

It remains to be seen if the Knicks had anything to do with Thomas' radio conversation.  Three months ago, it was reported that Thomas was prevented by the Knicks from doing an interview on another ESPN radio show.  Kay said the Knicks brass prohibited the first interview.  Probably to keep his mouth shut and stirring up an already boiling pot. 

Why the sudden change of mind now?  If Thomas freelanced this interview on his own, does that mean he is pushing his return?  If he did, he has balls.  The Knicks are improving early in the season and the interview took place during Walsh's rehab and only one day after his Florida International team held its media day in Florida.  As one suspicious Knick executive put it, "Great timing, wasn't it?"

Thomas' self-promoting and hidden agendas are nothing new in New York or anywhere for that matter.  He said he still has visions of helping the Knicks win a title.  "I want to be on the float and I want to get my ring," the former NBA great said.

Walsh is now cleaning up a mess at the Garden, not the asbestos but Thomas'.  Walsh's predecessor left the team in shambles and still shows no shame.  Credibility?  Don't make me laugh.  Thomas and MSG were found guilty of harassing in a federal court.  It cost the Knicks $11 million.  He still calls Anucha Brown Sanders a liar and he has "forgiven" her. 

Thomas has amped himself into believing he is the key to the Knicks landing Carmelo Anthony. He bragged that he would have landed LeBron James if he remained team president. If he isn't campaigning for Walsh's job he must be waiting for him to keel over.  He claims he thinks about taking over for Walsh, "every single day of the week."

The delusional Thomas defends his track record (average 28 Knicks wins a season) with comments like, " I'll put my draft evaluation record up against any one's" and "I think if you take away that trial (Anucha Brown Sanders), I'm still there, we make the playoffs a couple of times and I don't know if Miami has LeBron or Wade."

Walsh took the high road after he found out about Thomas' remarks. His office has not released an official response, but Walsh said, "I'm not looking down the line.  I have nothing to say about comments made by Isiah."

If Thomas is planning a coup, Walsh better have a backup plan.  Mullin, Walsh's personal choice as heir is gone and it looks like Dolan is still ga-ga over Thomas.   The owner's favorite son must have cast some kind of spell that makes him look like a reincarnation of Red Auerbach.   Or maybe he has incriminating photos of his ex-boss? Whatever reason Thomas continues to be on retainer is not good for the Knicks.


There's no rationale why Dolan loves his Isiah.  It's like some Judd Apatow bromance.  The confused straight man partners with a twisted interloper to make illogical decisions, wreck everything in sight and not get the girl.  It is a tired routine.


Thomas says he wants to recruit James in 2014 when the Miami Heat player can opt out of his contract.  "I think when he comes to New York and he wins it (a title) in New York, I think he's the greatest player ever," spouted Thomas.  It looks like Dolan and his conniving cohort have been inhaling more than asbestos.

Asbestos Scare Postpones Knicks-Magic Game

By Tony Mangia

Tuesday night's NBA game featuring the New York Knicks against the Orlando Magic in Madison Square Garden was postponed after hazardous materials fell into the arena last night.  The Garden will not open until all the debris is removed.  Contrary to New York fans hopes, the waste being removed did not resemble in any way, shape or form either Isiah Thomas or owner James Dolan.

Following last night's Ranger game, during overnight maintenance of the Garden, asbestos-related materials were knocked loose from the attic by workers and onto the arena floor.

A statement released by Madison Square Garden said, "Out of an abundance of caution, and consulting with the NBA, we are postponing tonight's Knicks v. Magic game.  We will not open the arena until the Garden is safe."

Earlier, hundreds of disappointed fans were sent home while crews cleaned up inside.  There was no word on how much material must be removed and the estimated time of completion.

"We will be working with the city and independent experts to evaluate and determine the most appropriate course of action," MSG's release said, "As the safety of our customers and employees are our top priority."

The Knicks were hoping to get their first home victory against the Magic who are coming off a tough loss against their Sunshine State rivals, the Miami Heat.

Madison Square Garden advised ticket holders to retain their tickets and get rescheduling information at nyknicks.com. They will announce information about future events as soon as it arrives.

The Knicks next home game is scheduled for Friday against the Washington Wizards.  The next Rangers game is scheduled for Sunday against the St. Louis Blues.

Knicks Declare Billboard War On Nets

By Tony Mangia

The New York Knicks have taken action against the New Jersey Nets by placing a billboard on a warehouse near the Brooklyn construction site of the Nets' new arena...two years before it's planned completion.  The obscure Knicks billboard looks like retaliation for the giant poster promoting the Nets and it's new billionaire owner.  That sign was hung with a pigeon's eye view of Madison Square Garden last July. 

The Knicks billboard features new Knick star Amar'e Stoudemire glaring out from in front of the Manhattan Bridge with "Brooklyn Represent" written underneath and "YOU, US, WE, NOW" scrolled along the side with the team emblem.  The Knick's  newest acquisition and face of the team could be a dig at the Nets inability to land a big-name free-agent this off-season.

The Nets billboard, which hung from a Manhattan building on 33rd Street, was much larger and featured Nets owners Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z staring directly down at the Garden.  The Knicks owner, James Dolan, was so incensed by the huge sign, he filed a complaint with the NBA.  He claimed it gave his Jersey competitors an upper hand in recruiting free-agent LeBron James last summer.

Dolan probably wishes he could have tacked Carmelo Anthony's face onto his new black and white promo.  The Knicks haven't commented on why they put one up near the Nets future home, but did say they put similar ones up around the New York Area.  They probably won't have to worry about putting any up near the Nets' current home, the Prudential Center, in Newark.  Today, on opening day,  some tickets on Stub Hub were going for .45 cents.

The Nets CEO Brett Yormark called the Knicks billboard a "defensive measure."  "I'm glad to see they know where Brooklyn is," he said.  "Clearly they know what's coming.  It's fair play."

The "YOU, US, WE, NOW" slogan is a bit confusing.  Maybe the Knicks should have slapped a head- shot of their Russian center, Timofey Mozgov, to lure some of his comrades from Brooklyn's Russian enclave in  Brighton Beach.  The big man has recently done a public relations tour there. 

The Nets' new Russian owner isn't waiting until the new arena's ribbon-cutting to entice his Russian fanbase.  Prokhorov is publishing a Russian-language magazine called "S.N.O.B."  The magazine is geared to generating Net fans within the community.  The name is an acronym for the Russian words, "Accomplished , Independent, Educated and Thriving."  A Bloomberg report said the  Nets owner--who is already well-known in Russian society--has already sunk $100 million into the project.