Back in the glory days of the Dodgers, players like Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson and Carl Erskine lived in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Bay Ridge, their neighbors much like themselves, young with big families and nice incomes.
When the Nets moved to Brooklyn, the hope was that the Nets players would follow, become residents of the boroughs. But until the HSS Training Center opened, there was little to no incentive. There were plenty of housing opportunities —more moderately priced opportunities— near the East Rutherford practice facility. Only one Nets player, Thaddeus Young, brought into Brooklyn before last February’s opening of HSS in February.