Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai has been trying to build a winner with the Nets ever since he took over as the owner of the franchise in August of 2019. Brooklyn appeared to be on their way to competing for an NBA championship when the Big 3 were in town, but the organization is rebuilding now. Tsai isn't changing the direction of the franchise even after the New York Knicks just won the NBA title.
"Every year, some team is going to win a championship. So it happens that this year that team is in the same city. It doesn’t make us feel very good," Tsai said in a recent phone conversation with NetsDaily. The conversation revolved around whether the Nets would speed up the process of the rebuild, especially with the cross-town rival Knicks winning
a championship for the first time since 1973.
"It irates our fan base and it is embarrassing but in business or in competition, in sports, or in anything, you shouldn’t let the embarrassment factor affect how you perform," Tsai continued, per NetsDaily. "[We] had a plan and we’re rebuilding and I think right now we are on a positive trajectory. So it doesn’t change my thinking at all."
The Nets are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history as they finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 20-62 record that eventually awarded them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, with Brooklyn expected to be one of the worst teams in the league once again and the Knicks likely to be title contenders, some around the league and in the fanbase are wondering if anything will change soon.
The Nets seem to be moving in a direction that means that they're ready to win more games after trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle to pair with sharpshooting forward Michael Porter Jr. Time will tell how next season will turn out for the Nets, but whatever the result is, it seems that the owner is content with rebuilding with patience, even if their cross-town rival is thriving at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets owner Joe Tsai speaks on franchise path after Knicks NBA title
