Prudential Center
The arena was originally intended to be the home of the New Jersey Nets, but YankeeNets sold the team to Bruce Ratner, who decided he would relocate the Nets to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, the construction of the arena was plagued by lawsuits and economic issues during the recession. In the fall of 2009, the Nets played two preseason games at the Prudential Center, while considering a possible move there. After the success of the preseason games at the Prudential Center, the Nets finalized a deal to move to the Prudential Center. The team played for two seasons at the venue before the Barclays Center was completed in 2012 and the team officially relocated to Brooklyn. The final NBA event at the Prudential Center before the Nets' move to Brooklyn was the 2012 NBA Draft, held on June 28, 2012.
Island Garden
The 5,200 seat arena also hosted the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association from 1969 to 1972. Hall of Famer Rick Barry led the ABA in scoring during the 1970–71 season. The Nets were unable to play any home playoff games in 1971 because the arena was booked with other events. In 1971–72, the Nets posted their first winning season, advancing all the way to the ABA Finals, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers. The franchise stabilized. Late in the season, the team moved from the Garden (capacity 8,500) and moved into the new Nassau Coliseum (17,800 capacity). In 1976 the Nets franchise were admitted into the National Basketball Association, where they have remained, eventually becoming today's Brooklyn Nets.