NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets held a moment of silence before their play-in game against Cleveland and said they were donating $50,000 to help those who were injured after at least 10 people were shot on a subway Tuesday.
The shooting occurred at a station in the Sunset Park neighbourhood of Brooklyn that is the one closest to the Nets' training center, where they held their morning shootaround Tuesday.
"That's the subway stop for our practice facility and for our office,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said before the game. "My kids go to school not exceedingly far, so it does hit home and you just feel for all those affected and you recognize that we have a lot of growing to do as a society and a community, and you just feel for everybody in our community that was affected.''
The donation from the Nets and the New York Liberty Foundation was announced just before the moment of silence. The Nets thanked first responders and wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured.
The Nets urged fans earlier in the day to arrive early to the game and were told to expect an increased security presence at the arena. Members of the police counter-terrorism unit were positioned at the top of the steps outside the subway station across the plaza from Barclays Center.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team's thoughts were with those who were on their way to work or school when the shooting started.
"So that's first and foremost, is keeping those people in our minds and whatever we can do to help there, help there,'' he said. "And then we go play a basketball game, and if it's an extra 15 minutes on the trip or you've got to check your purse at the door, like, so be it, because people were impacted in a way bigger way than we ever will be.''
