On the day of Jay-Z's 43rd birthday, our friends at Life + Times premieres a mini-documentary of the making of the Barclays Center and Jay's eight-day concert series."Jay is pulling from every album. It's been hectic," Young Guru shares of the rehearsals behind Jay-Z's concert series. The video shows commentary and behind-the-scenes footage of Jay-Z, Young Guru and the rest of his band, rehearsing and prepping for the concert series from day one. From when Jason Kidd told Jay he should be involved with the Nets in 2003 to the eighth show's "Encore," take a look at the road to the creation of the Barclays Center. Enjoy.

Taken from this fall’s run of eight sold-out shows at the newly opened Barclays Center – the home of the rechristened Brooklyn Nets – Jay-Z and his Life + Times present live performance footage of “Dead Presidents” and “Can I Live.” The two Reasonable Doubt classics were performed as Hov officially opened the new Brooklyn arena with a string of eight shows in late September and early October – the entire show is now available via the Live In Brooklyn EP, which can be purchased now via iTunes. Enjoy.

On Monday, NBA TV kicked off their behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of an NBA Season in The Association. This year, the show will follow the one of the most talked about teams, the Brooklyn Nets. Kicking off their first episode was Fabolous, who performed a new freestyle dedicated to his hometown team. You can catch episodes every Friday night on NBA TV, while the 2012-2012 season begins October 30th.

We are officially three weeks away from the beginning of Brooklyn Nets basketball. With everything from the new-look jersey to the court already revealed, the only thing left to see is how the revamped roster will perform this upcoming season. Following the maturation of the team will be NBA TV as they feature the Nets in their newest edition of The Association. Take a look at a sneak peak of the first episode which airs on Tuesday, October 16th at 10:00pm EST. Enjoy.

The Brooklyn Nets hope that having the most technologically-advanced stadium in sports bodes well for the future of their team. It took 9 years and numerous court battles to build Barclays Center, but the 1 billion dollar building was finally unveiled to the public last week. Aesthetically, the structure is an organic ode to the future — metal plates of varying sizes, curves and flowing lines — most notable for the Oculus, a gigantic 360-degree high-definition display that will show live game footage, movies, and even art installations. Within its walls, some 18,200 fans will enjoy free Wi-Fi, food and beverage apps and 8,000 square feet of LED signage. Watch the video above for an in-depth glimpse into the Nets’ new high-tech home court. Brooklyn, it seems, does go pretty hard after all. Enjoy.

When Jay-Z was announced as part owner of the recently Brooklyn-based Nets franchise, everyone from casual sports fans to savvy business minds wondered what Shawn Carter’s actual impact would be on the franchise. While he only owns one-fifteenth of a percent (while Mikhail Prokhorov owns 80 percent), the piece makes it very clear that he has had his hands in everything from uniform design to arena music choices. Below, choice excerpts can be found while the entire editorial can be read at The New York Times. [Read More]

Earlier this week, Deron Williams announced via Twitter that he chose to stay with the Brooklyn Nets over joining the depleted Dallas Mavericks. As it goes with any free agent decision, there was much speculation over what led a player to opt for one team over another. In his first discussion with the media since declaring his choice to join Brooklyn, Deron tells the New York Daily News just how close he was to calling Dallas his new home, along with a surprising confession about how the controversial Joe Johnson trade helped him make up his mind. [Read More]

The Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks have agreed to terms on a deal that will bring Joe Johnson to New York, sources told ESPN.com. The deal is contingent on Deron Williams agreeing to stay with the Nets. The Hawks, according to sources, would get Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson (via sign-and-trade) and the Rockets' 2013 lottery protected first round pick. [Read More]