Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he of the six rings, six MVPs and 38,387 points, writes Tuesday of Brooklyn Nets, who he sees as a modern day successor to his favorite childhood team, the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Kareem, then Lewis Alcindor, talks about summer camp and how New York kids gravitated to like-minded fans. "We didn't want to get stuck with some Yankees or Giants fan if at all possible."

Bottom line for Abdul-Jabbar is the real rivalry developing. "I'm looking forward to seeing some of the zaniness that was part of watching a game at Ebbets Fields. The stage is set and I think that a great new era of sports in New York is upon us. I can only imagine the fun arguments the next generation of kids will have about their favorite teams."

• Nets boost Brooklyn, New York rivalries - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - ESPN New York