If you know me, you know that I love basketball. This is an especially great time of year as March Madness just concluded and we’re entering playoff season. For avid basketball fans, you might know one thing: our NY teams aren’t good. As someone who has lived in NYC for the past 13 years, I cringe as I say this, but we suck. The Knicks are literally the worst performing team this season while the Nets have the lowest attendance rate this season. For the ‘Big Apple’ we’re not producing star teams. However, what NYC does have is heart and culture.
The Nets is nestled in downtown Brooklyn and knowing their fan base is heavily Caribbean (or at least the borough that they are in), they are ensuring that they are connecting with fans via Barbados Night. What is Barbados night? It’s an evening where a typical basketball game is turned into a cultural extravaganza with Barbados taking over the arena during halftime and commercial breaks to watch Bajan dancers dance alongside the Brooklynettes, listen to local Bajan artists, see Miss Barbados from 2017 and 2018 parade around in Crop Over attire, and more.
The Brooklynettes took it a step further, visiting Barbados to hold auditions for dancers to come dance at Barclays. While they were only planning on bringing two dancers, they returned home with six!
The night included a performance from SOCA artist Rupee and there was even an afterparty hosted by BTMI at Marquee nightclub. It was a night to remember!
Barbados, the most Eastern island in the Caribbean has become mainstream because of their beloved mogul, Rihanna, who hails from the beautiful isle. The country has been actively promoting tourism in the United States and New York City as it should! The island is known for their food, being the first Zagat-rated island in the Caribbean, their rum, their crystal blue beaches, and being an overall destinantion for pretty much whatever you are looking for.
Even though we’re about to enter the playoffs (and sadly, the Nets aren’t in it), next season, definitely mark Barbados Night at Barclays as an event to attend! This is probably the closest you’ll get to feeling like you attended a game with the Bajan bad gal, Rihanna, herself!
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