NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New Jersey Nets will be renamed the Brooklyn Nets when the National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise moves across the state line and into a new arena next year, minority owner and rap star Jay-Z said on Monday.
The Nets, who have played in New Jersey since joining the NBA in 1976, are due to move into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the 2012-2013 season. The arena is under construction.
"From the moment the Barclays Center became a reality, I knew this meant something significant for Brooklyn," Brooklyn-born Jay-Z told a news conference.
The team had been known as the New York Nets for a few seasons when it played in the defunct American Basketball Association, but now will take on the name of a borough that is part of New York City but maintains its own identity.
(Reporting by Paula Rogo; Editing by Daniel Trotta)
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