The Nets can’t sell their record to free agents, but they can sell arguably the best practice facility in the NBA.
The team unveiled its new $50 million, 70,000 square foot HSS Training Center on Wednesday, one that includes every state-of-the-art amenity and jaw-dropping panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
“The Nets are 100 percent part of Brooklyn,” owner Mikhail Prohkorov said.
“We’re finally all in in Brooklyn, so we can finally say, ‘Hello Brooklyn,’ and mean it,’’ Brook Lopez said.
The facility includes two full-length courts, a weight room, a training pool and two hydro pools, a rooftop lounge for the players, and an 18-seat theater. Oh, and it’s just three miles from Barclays Center.
“The Brooklyn Nets are now truly making Brooklyn their home,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “It’s amazing. And this view! Any New Yorker who comes here will feel instant pride. … You make all of Brooklyn proud. The Nets mean so much to us. Ever since Nets came to Brooklyn it’s been a real source of pride.
“You have a sense of what you mean to us, but I don’t know if you have the fullness of it. There’s an amazing sense of pride all throughout Brooklyn. … There’s a synergy here that’s extraordinarily exciting and the Nets are contributing greatly to what’s happening here. I want to thank you so much.’’
Irina Pavlova, Prokhorov’s stateside New York rep and president of ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment, said they looked at 50 sites before picking the one in Sunset Park.
“Beautiful … one of the tops I’ve seen in the league since I’ve been in the league,’’ interim coach Tony Brown said. “They’re digging in. Their foundation is in this community.’’
The finished product has a TV on the practice court to replay plays instantly, custom-made sofas in the lounge and 8-foot high shower heads, so Lopez won’t have to duck.
And there is the view, spanning from the Statue of Liberty to Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center.
“As you guys can see we have the great view,” Thaddeus Young said. “Not many teams are able to say that, except maybe Miami with their beach view.
“It’s an amazing practice facility, and guys that are going to come here in the future are going to love it.’’
Attracting players in the future is one of the main goals.
“This is another player in the team for us, because we pay a lot of attention to the small details. Maybe you’ve heard that our court was nominated by Sports Illustrated as the most stylish court in the NBA,’’ Prokhorov said. “It’s very important. … Players will stay a lot of time here. It’s a style of Brooklyn. And we’re proud of it.’’
Additional reporting by Rich Calder