This gives new meaning to the Battle of Brooklyn.
Marty Markowitz and filmmaker Spike Lee went one-on-one before last night’s much-anticipated matchup between the Knicks and the Nets at Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center.
After the cheerleading Brooklyn borough president challenged the movie mogul’s Brooklyn cred — in a video, of all things — the Knick uberfan fired back with a slam dunk tweet.
“With All Due Respect I Love BROOKLYN And New York Knickerbockers,” the Brooklyn-born and -raised Lee told his followers. “No Way EVER I Change. NYK.”
Earlier, Markowitz said Brooklynites who continued to root for what he called “the Manhattan Knicks” are “treasonous.”
“All I want is if the Knicks falter, which they’re going to,” Markowitz told Lee, “that you then make the Brooklyn Nets your second-favorite team.”
The Nets eked out a thrilling, 96-89 overtime victory — but Lee, as it turned out, wasn’t there, which was probably a good thing for him.
Markowitz found himself double-teamed even before the tip-off. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, on Lee’s side, took exception to the Brooklyn Beep’s trash talking.
“The ‘Manhattan’ Knicks?” Stringer asked. “Tell that to Carmelo “Red Hook” Anthony. This is a great night for New York City — and for basketball fans everywhere.”
Among the celebrities on hand for the historic game — the first regular-season matchup between two NBA teams from New York City — were Mayor Bloomberg, Michael Strahan, Charlie Rose, Richard Gere and, of course, Jay-Z, who is a part- owner of the Nets, and his wife, Beyoncé.
After the game, Jay-Z tweeted, “The city is under new management.’’
Below Spike Lee talks about the Nets moving to Brooklyn and their rivalry with the Knicks :
See Last nights Game Recap below :
Posted by : Mista Bless courtesy of the NY Post and NBA.com