New York has the third most professional sports teams in the United States with eight in total, behind only Florida and California respectively. A state with such a rich sporting history, New York City and state is home to some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the country. However, with so many different boroughs in the city and competing sports teams in the same sport, it can be hard to keep track of who supports who.
Brooklyn is the city’s most populous borough and known for its cultural diversity. As such, you can expect fans of any number of sports and sports teams. However, there are a number that you would expect Brooklynites to support down to the geographics. Let’s take a look at the sports teams that people from Brooklyn should support.
Brooklyn Nets
Starting with the most obvious we go to the NBA to look at the Brooklyn Nets. One of the newer franchises in the league, the Nets relocated to Brooklyn, NY from New Jersey in 2012. It was at this point that they became the first professional sports team to be located in the borough since the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team in 1957, playing their home games at the Barclays Centre. The current home of superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have performed well so far this season and find themselves in second place in the Eastern conference at the time of writing. They have found their way into the playoffs on 27 occasions however are one of 12 teams in the NBA to have never won a championship. Despite this they find themselves at +500 second favourites to win the NBA finals this season and it seems like there has never been a better time for the NBA Championship Trophy to come to Brooklyn.
New York Jets/New York Giants
This may seem like cheating somewhat but it is a pretty even split in between Brooklyn NFL fans and their love of the Giants or the Jets. The reason for this is pretty straightforward seeing as both teams play their home games in the same stadium. The MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey is where both teams call home, about an hour drive from Brooklyn. The Giants are actually one of the oldest football teams in the NFL having been formed in 1925 by Tim Mara, who purchased an NFL franchise in New York for $500. The Giants have also been the most successful of the two with four Super Bowl wins compared to the Jets’ one. Despite having two teams, New York City have not been able to boast a Super Bowl winning team for over a decade, though they have a small chance through the Giants in 2023. They have clinched a wildcard playoff place though Super Bowl odds have them as +6000 outsiders.
New York Rangers
This may be heavily contested by those outside of Brooklyn (and the rest of the city for that matter), but for those who know, Brooklyn is Rangers country. Yes, the New York Islanders played their homes games in Brooklyn up until recently, but it was never really a great match. To begin with, the Barclays Centre was created with basketball in mind and left a lot to be desired as a hockey rink. And after moving from Nassau County, it was always going to be a big ask to get the city folk on side. The Rangers on the other hand have always been based in the city with their home games taking place at the legendary Madison Square Garden for nearly 100 years. With four Stanley Cups and their last win in 1993/94, New York has been without an NHL championship win in nearly 20 years. They have played well so far this season though and find themselves as a +1600 shot to bring the cup back to NYC in 2023.
Brooklyn Cyclones
You can’t possibly talk about Brooklyn sports teams without mentioning the Cyclones. Despite being a minor league baseball team, the Cyclones welcome nearly 10,000 spectators to their home games at Maimonides Park. An affiliate of the New York Mets, the MLB team that many Brooklynites support, the Cyclones play in the South Atlantic League having been formed in 2001. Evoking memories of the former Dodgers team that once made Brooklyn so proud, the Cyclones encompass what it is to bee both a Brooklynite and a sports fan.
