Rep. Mikie Sherrill urges Nets to return to New Jersey; franchise says it is ‘perfectly happy’ in Brooklyn
SLUG: mikie-sherrill-nets-new-jersey-return
WASHINGTON — Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) has called on the Brooklyn Nets to move the NBA franchise back across the Hudson River to New Jersey, but team officials say they have no intention of leaving their current home.
Sherrill’s appeal surfaced on May 21, 2026, when she publicly encouraged the organization to consider returning to the Garden State, where the club played from 1977 until 2012. The congresswoman cited the team’s long-standing fan base in New Jersey and the potential economic boost a relocation could bring.
A Nets spokesperson responded that the franchise is “perfectly happy in Brooklyn” and remains committed to Barclays Center, its arena since the 2012-13 season. No plans for relocation are under discussion, the team added.
The exchange rekindles a decade-old debate among local fans who watched the Nets spend 35 seasons in East Rutherford and Newark before shifting to Brooklyn. Sherrill did not outline a formal proposal, and the Nets did not elaborate on future possibilities, indicating that the matter is unlikely to advance in the near term.
Source: New York Post
