23. BrooklyKnight: Brooklyn Nets
You would expect the team with the league’s most forgettable logo and uniform to have a mascot that matches that blandness. But much like the infamous draft-day trade with the Boson Celtics, they managed to somehow screw it up.
That brings us to BrooklyKnight. The Nets introduced the black and grey knight upon their migration to Brooklyn in 2011. The feedback to him was, well, indifferent at best, which makes no sense. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy seeing a ghoulish equestrian walking throughout the Barclays Center or visiting their child’s school?
To be clear: this is not about the person who plays the mascot. Hearing this is about dissatisfaction with the Knight character.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 10, 2014
BrooklyKnight lasted a grand total of two seasons as the Nets mascot due to general fan disgust. Why did the fans not like him? Well, let’s count the ways: having the same name as a tortured play on the term Brooklynite, scaring children, missing dunks, looking like a first draft drawing of Zurg from Toy Story and having nothing to do with the city or the team.
Look, wanting to create a cool-looking mascot is admirable, but this was never going to work. With a name was basic as the Nets — named after the least important part of the basketball goal — the franchise started at a disadvantage when it came to picking something to enhance the in-arena experience.
Still, a knight with nightmare fuel headgear was the best they could do? It was probably better than bringing that sociopathic silver fox Sly with them from Jersey, but not by much. Given those popular choices, it’s easy to see why the team forewent the mascot altogether.