It hasn’t been the best week for the Nets: the team was ranked dead last in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings (although we’d argue that’s exactly the point), two of their three international players were eliminated in the first round of the FIBA Round of 16 International Basketball Tournament, and the third (Mason Plumlee) won’t see the floor unless the game’s well out of hand.
But there’s one place where the Nets rank highly: pretty basketball courts! Zach Lowe of Grantland brought a little levity, ranking all 30 basketball arenas by the visual appeal of their court.
The Nets come in about as well as you could expect, ranking fourth overall in the league. From Lowe:
It might seem sacrilegious to give such a young court this lofty perch, but wait until you see what comes next. The black-and-white look stands out in a league of bright colors, and like black-and-white film, it lends the Nets a sheen of effortless cool. The central logo, just a basketball with words around it, is another testament that less can be more in design.
The ideal court is idiosyncratic without resorting to garishness. The Nets’ dark herringbone floor is a perfect example. It’s unique in the NBA, and it looks great without being distracting. Even the corporate logo, usually an annoyance, is rendered in a soft blue that the herringbone almost eats up.
The Nets use the same theater lighting system as their crosstown rivals, and though the effect is noticeable in person, it’s even more dramatic on television. I’m not sure any court looks better on TV.
I can’t disagree. Brooklyn’s herringbone court is awesome: as Lowe put it, it’s unique without being distracting, and the black-and-white feel keeps it simple and strong.
One other important note: the dimensions indicate that the basket stanchion is 4’6″ from the edge of the court, more than the minimum necessary. Basket stanchion placement became a hot-button issue after Paul George broke his leg in a freak accident during a Team USA scrimmage in Las Vegas, colliding with a stanchion that was placed just three feet from the edge of the court.
The three courts ahead of the Nets? The new Charlotte Hornets arena comes in third, and two classics take the top two spots: the parquet floor in Boston at #2, and the Lakers look in Staples Center.
Less than two months until we see players performing on that court again.
