Jay-Z Had To Fight for the Nets’ Black & White Uniforms

In an effort to shine a light on the new kids in town and their proud owner, The New York Times released piece today drawing on the impact Jay-Z has on the Brooklyn Nets franchise.

Though he only owns a small percentage of the team and has been involved since 2003, the Brooklyn-native had to struggle with the NBA to have black and white as the team colors.

“He helped design the team logos and choose the team’s stark black-and-white color scheme, and personally appealed to National Basketball Association officials to drop their objections to it (the N.B.A., according to a person with knowledge of the discussion, thought that African-American athletes did not look good on TV in black, an assertion that a league spokesman adamantly denied).”

The piece went on to state Jay even made sure their new home was the safest place possible and for those concerned with the musical aspect, the Roc Nation CEO has that covered.

"He even coached them on how to screen patrons for weapons without appearing too heavy-handed. (“Be mindful,” he advised oracularly, “and be sensitive.”) He counseled arena executives on what kind of music to play during games. (“Less Jersey,” he urged, pushing niche artists like Santigold over old favorites like Bon Jovi.)"

Check out the full story over at the New York Times.