Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Spike Lee Remains Orange And Blue, Won't Root For Brooklyn Nets
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 4, 2012
Modified Aug 4, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 4, 2012
Modified Aug 4, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Despite taking up residence on the Upper East Side, Spike Lee's Brooklyn roots run famously deep, so it seems only natural that the Do The Right Thing director would defect from his Lin-less New York Knicks in favor of the shiny new Brooklyn Nets next season. Right? No, absolutely wrong.
Lee recently told the Times that he will never abandon his beloved Manhattan-based team, no matter how much closer the Nets' Downtown Brooklyn home base might be to his origins, no matter how many Jeremy Lins are given away for free, no matter how many Eddy Currys are given fat paychecks, no matter how many Knicks-related songs JD and the Straight Shot release. "No, no and no. Can't do that. Can't," Lee told the Times when asked if his basketball loyalties were up for grabs. "My son is going to be orange and blue, and his son after him. And they are going to bury me in these colors. In Brooklyn." Never doubt a true fan!
Lee's coming-of-age in Fort Greene has always been part of his cannon, and he's had the opportunity to watch Brooklyn's transform into Gentrification Nation firsthand. His mother reportedly purchased their brownstone in the neighborhood, which "Real Estate people" referred to as "Brooklyn Heights vicinity," according to Lee for only $40,000 (Corcoran Group now lists single apartments in Fort Greene brownstones for nearly 20 times that price). But Lee's Knicks history is just as central to his core, so it looks like he'll be letting Jay-Z have all the black-and-white allegiance to himself. But if you're worried you'll miss out on spotting Lee at the Barclays Center this winter, have no fear! He'll be heading to Atlantic Yards to watch the Knicks take on the Nets at the new team's opening game. And thus, the Brooklyn vs. Manhattan battle rages into an ever-weary infinity.
Tagged
brooklyn
brooklyn nets
fort greene
gentrification
jay-z
new york knicks
spike lee
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 12:55 p.m. ET
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .