Sports mascots range from the iconic to the downright bizarre. Now, basketball fans will have to decide in which category to put the Brooklyn Nets' new mascot, the BrooklyKnight.
At first glance, the BrooklyKnight sort of looks like a cross between Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight and bounty hunter Boba Fett, who hails from a borough far, far from Brooklyn. Or is he dressed like a Medieval Times worker from a renaissance restaurant that would be located in that electronic TRON world? Either way, he's got a different look than New York's preeminent mascot, Mr. Met.
Making his debut in the Nets' home opener against the Raptors at the Barclays Center Saturday night, the BrooklyKnight descended from the rafters dressed in black superhero spandex with a cape and a shield. Announced in June, he was designed by the Nets in conjunction with Marvel Comics, who released a 32-page comic book to commemorate the occasion.
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"Forged from the blood, sweat and tears of Brooklyn itself -- always ready to defend his home and defeat any challenger -- all hail the BrooklyKnight!" Marvel editor Bill Rosemann exclaimed to Russ Burlingame of ComicBook.com. "When Nets fans meet their guardian, they will immediately know that the House of Ideas has once again unleashed a hero who will soon be known all over the world for his nobility, grit, and strength. Brooklyn, your champion is here!"
Presumably, Nets fans won't be too impressed by this new masked "champion" if the team isn't competing for championships. This is Marvel's second recent foray into the NBA. In October, the comic book giant collaborated with ESPN the Magazine to release "Lebron: King of Rings," a full-color book that imagined a future in which LeBron James fulfilled his promise to win not one, "not two, not three ... not seven" championships.