A Tale of Two New Yorks: Could The Knicks Soon Be Second to The Nets?

The LeBron James saga has been a tale of two teams going in opposite directions as far as the New York Knicks and their rivals the New Jersey Nets go.

The Nets with a new Russian billionaire Owner, Jay-Z and the promise of a move to a brand new arena in Brooklyn and the chance for James to become a global star are very much a franchise on the up. And that's despite the fact that they had the worse record of any NBA team this past season.

The Knicks on the other hand, had very little to sell James apart from the promise of playing in New York, something that very soon the Nets will be doing themselves.

While many Knicks fans will naturally be complacent about the threat posed by a rejuvenated Nets franchise, it is telling that some commentators are still discounting the Nets' chances of landing the hottest free agent in the world while lauding the Knicks as having an outside shot. 

It may be hard to imagine, but it is not unrealistic that the Nets will soon be the biggest franchise in New York. And, potentially, one of the most successful NBA teams of the next decade, leaving the Knicks lagging way behind.

Nothing is for certain in the sporting world and the Nets may fall flat on their faces. But reports are that LeBron, the King, was blown away by a Nets team on the up and with incredible ambition, while he was not excited by the Knicks vision for the future.

If the two presentations translate into reality, Madison Square Garden won't be the place to watch for basketball in New York for much longer.