HoopsHype.com Rumors

Stefan Bondy: Jay Z is being pushed as the most influential person regarding the Nets brand, and any interview requests have been turned down flat. Jay Zs silence is peculiar, considering any article at this time would be spun positively. Even the NY Times, obliged always, was denied. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

He’s not late. He’s dressed like a kid, in cap and jeans, if he said he was 30 you wouldn’t doubt him. (He’s 42.) He’s overwhelmingly familiar, which is of course a function of his fame ­ — rap superstar, husband of Beyoncé, minority owner of the Nets, whose new home, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, will open this month — but also of the fact he’s been speaking into our ears for so long. No one stares. The self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” is treated like a piece of the furniture. Ah, but there’s always one: a preppy white guy discreetly operating his iPhone’s reverse-camera function. It’s an old hustle; it makes Jay chuckle: “They think they’re the first one who’s ever come up with that concept.” New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

New York's State Liquor Authority on Wednesday approved a liquor license for Barclays Center, permitting the arena to sell alcohol everywhere from an upper bowl hot dog stand to champagne bar within the venue's most exclusive confines, "the Vault." During games, alcohol will be cut off in the arena after the third quarter but inside the exclusive clubs, it can be served for an hour after events finish, with a final cutoff of 1 a.m. The center, which features two Jay-Z' clubs, the 40/40 and the Armand de Brignac Champagne Bar, had been seeking permission to serve alcohol until as late as 2 a.m. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

Darren Rovell: Using the latest Forbes evaluation, Jay-Z’s .06% stake in the Brooklyn Nets is worth $214,000. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

Now, with the long-delayed Barclays Center arena nearing opening night in September and the Nets bidding in earnest for Brooklyn’s loyalties, Jay-Z will perform eight sold-out shows to kick things off. But away from center stage he has put his mark on almost every facet of the enterprise, his partners say. He helped design the team logos and choose the team’s stark black-and-white color scheme, and personally appealed to National Basketball Association officials to drop their objections to it (the N.B.A., according to a person with knowledge of the discussion, thought that African- American athletes did not look good on TV in black, an assertion that a league spokesman adamantly denied). He counseled arena executives on what kind of music to play during games. (“Less Jersey,” he urged, pushing niche artists like Santigold over old favorites like Bon Jovi.) New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

And none of the dozens of other current and former part-owners of the team have played so public a role — not Robert E. Rubin, the former Treasury secretary; not Mary Higgins Clark, the best-selling author, though she read to children at a Nets literacy event. “He is it,” Mr. Ratner, the developer, said in an interview. “He is us. He is how people are going to see that place.” New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

As much as his partners, including Mikhail D. Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire who bought 80 percent of the team in 2009, are getting out of him, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is benefiting handsomely, too, beginning with free use of one of 11 exclusive “Vault” suites, for which paying customers are charged $550,000 a year. Suite owners will have access to a Champagne bar serving Armand de Brignac, an expensive bubbly that Mr. Carter promotes and in which he holds a financial interest, according to a biography by a writer for Forbes. The arena will contain a 40/40 Club, an iteration of his sports-bar- style nightclub chain. There will be a Rocawear store, selling his clothing line, on the arena’s exterior. Even the advertising agency used by the Nets, Translation, is half-owned by Mr. Carter. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

Mr. Ratner was wary. He often says he overcame his concerns about Mr. Carter’s more offensive lyrics — celebrating gangster culture and denigrating women — only after learning there were cleaned-up “radio versions” of the songs, too. And Mr. Carter, he said, appeared nervous about having to meet with David Stern, the N.B.A. commissioner, who asked him to discuss his guilty plea to stabbing a record producer in 1999. (Mr. Carter described the incident, for which he received three years’ probation, as a symptom of “the world I lived in once,” Mr. Ratner recalled.) New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

Aaron Goodwin, an agent who has represented many young players who became N.B.A. stars, said Mr. Carter’s involvement had improved the image of the Nets in athletes’ eyes. “They’re going to take the phone call now,” he said. “They’re going to take the flight in. They’re going to listen. In years past, the Nets wouldn’t have gotten that. But now they’re in the game.” Mr. Yormark said Mr. Carter was not receiving a fee for his advice or any special deals for his businesses. Yet he has attended both quarterly meetings of the arena’s board of directors, sitting to Mr. Ratner’s right, and keeps in frequent touch by phone and e-mail with Mr. Yormark. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

Do you ever hear from Jay-Z, who is a minority owner? Billy King: A lot of times he’ll shoot me an e-mail with questions. The first time I got an e-mail from him was pretty cool. Jay-Z sent you an e-mail. What does he typically want to know? Billy King: How he can help. When Deron Williams was making his decision, he was struggling for a place to live. Jay-Z goes, “Tell him I’ll call him tomorrow and I’ll help.” It’s a lot about being able to relate to being wealthy, being young, being African-American. He can relate to them where maybe I can’t or Mikhail can’t. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Deron Williams, Billy King 

According to Mr. Prokhorov, a reprise is in the works, but this time in downtown Brooklyn, where Jay-Z will open the $1 billion Barclays Center with a series of sold-out concerts this fall. "Yes, I will rap at his concert," Mr. Prokhorov informed Crain's via email. "I am in rehearsals now 10 hours a day and plan to demand joint billing." Crain's

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Mikhail Prokhorov, Owners 

In February, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, appeared on a Russian television comedy show called Spotlight Paris Hilton, and offered a musical tribute to his co-owner, hip-hop star Jay-Z. "Mr. Jay-Z, this rap is for you," went the English portion of the lyrics. "Mr. Jay-Z, this is the first presentation/of real rap music from Russian Federation. Mr. Jay-Z, you are not alone/Mikhail Prokhorov on the microphone." According to Mr. Prokhorov, a reprise is in the works, but this time in downtown Brooklyn, where Jay-Z will open the $1 billion Barclays Center with a series of sold-out concerts this fall. "Yes, I will rap at his concert," Mr. Prokhorov informed Crain's via email. "I am in rehearsals now 10 hours a day and plan to demand joint billing." Crain's

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Mikhail Prokhorov 

Mr. Prokhorov's free spending—he committed about $340 million to player salaries last month alone—and his move to tap Jay-Z's star power have made the Nets the talk of the league. If that chatter translates to wins, the Nets could become the NBA's hottest story of the year. "The Nets were the Sacramento Kings of the East Coast," said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd. "They had no reputation, they had no credibility, they had no brand. What Prokhorov is doing along with Jay-Z is building a brand. That brand is going to have significant value as time goes on. They're now on a very steep trajectory upwards." Crain's

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Mikhail Prokhorov 

"Jay-Z, of course, is an extraordinarily powerful calling card for Brooklyn and for our brand," Mr. Prokhorov said. "He has that international name that we want." Crain's

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Mikhail Prokhorov 

Jay-Z is set to serve as executive producer for NBA 2K13, currently available for pre-order and releasing October 2nd. The announcement was made earlier today on Hov's site Life+Times. In a video promo released for the game, his song "Public Service Announcement" plays in the background. Hip Hop DX

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z, Owners 

As part of the deal, American Express cardholders will get early access to tickets and other privileges at the arena. In addition, the company will get naming rights for both the box office and Jay-Z's 40-40 Club in the arena. NetsDaily

New York Knicks, Jay-Z, Owners, Brookln Nets 

It’ll pay to be loaded if you really want to get loaded at Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center. Patrons splurging big bucks for luxury suites and other prime seating at the house that Jay-Z built will get the added bonus of being served booze up to an hour after arena events end — or as late as 2 a.m., arena officials confirmed this week. That’s a far cry from another set of rules for those stuck in the cheap seats, most of which run between $15 and $55 for Net games. Those fans will be able to buy booze at food stands or from roving beer vendors only until the start of the fourth quarter of Net games, as NBA rules require, or an hour before the end of most concerts and other events. New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

The Wizards sent over this video of John Wall and Jay-Z making nice after last week’s win in New Jersey. The sound isn’t great, so I asked the Wizards star to fill in the blanks for me. “Basically [Jay-Z] just said ‘keep playing,’” Wall said. “He thinks I’m a good player, somebody that can keep getting better. He wished me the best of luck and keep going forward. I appreciated it. That’s somebody, he’s one of the greatest rappers of all time. I looked over and saw him during the second quarter and it was shocking to see him. I wondered if he was going to come before the game started. It was nice to finally meet him.” Washington Post

Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, John Wall, Jay-Z 

As the Nets prepare to move to their new home in downtown Brooklyn, Jay-Z will headline the Barclays Center's grand opening in September with a concert. And while the team declined to disclose his ownership percentage, which is considered to be small, this much is clear: His influence, particularly when it comes to style and branding, far outweighs his financial stake in the franchise. "I don't tell Jay-Z to do anything," said Brett Yormark, the CEO of Barclays Center and the Nets. "I mean that. He tells me what to do. Listen, when it comes to our engagement, let's just say he's the CEO." Wall Street Journal

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z 

The Nets are celebrating the role that he's played in everything from revamping the logo ("He's refreshed it," Yormark said) to designing new uniforms ("His fingerprints are all over it") to coming up with a new color scheme ("A bold redirection"), all of which the team plans to unveil this spring. In addition, the Nets are set to begin marketing 11 luxury suites that will be known as "The Vault at Barclays Center," a small, high-end space on the event level of the arena. Yes, Jay-Z chose the forks—in addition to offering his input on the Champagne ($300 bottles of Armand de Brignac), the layout (asymmetrical) and much of the décor (lots of black and shimmering metallics). Wall Street Journal

Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z