De Blasio becomes instant meme after donning Brooklyn Nets gear

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How do you do, fellow kids.

Mayor Bill de Blasio became an instant meme Tuesday when he donned a black Brooklyn Nets jersey under his open blue button-down shirt, and never-worn flat-brimmed Nets hat for his morning press briefing Tuesday.

Hizzoner donned the get-up to announce the city’s latest scheme for encouraging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine — a chance to win tickets to the team’s playoff games if they get the shot at a pop-up site outside Barclays Center.

“The Nets are stepping up for Brooklyn, for all of New York,” de Blasio said during his daily virtual press conference. “This is going to be another extraordinary effort to get everyone vaccinated.”

“This is going to be amazing, an amazing opportunity to see one of the greatest teams in a long time, and a team that’s going to bring glory to Brooklyn and New York City.”

But the 60-year-old mayor’s awkward attire quickly became the bigger story on social media. 

“The last thing you see before you’re priced out of your neighborhood,” quipped The Daily Show.

“Brooklyn Nets fan final form,” joked “Desus & Mero” writer Robert Kornhauser.

The eyebrow-raising presser came after the mayor last week made headlines by stiffly stuffing Shake Shack grub into his mouth at a press briefing while announcing that the fast food outlet would give free fries to vaccinated customers.

It also comes a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Nets and Knicks will be able to host more attendees in their stadiums for the playoffs, with at least 50 percent of seats set aside for vaccinated sections where masks and social distancing won’t be required — though the governor encouraged owners to fill every seat with inoculated fans.

Nets CEO John Abbamondi, who joined de Blasio for Tuesday’s presser, said they would try to get “as close to full capacity” as possible, with most sections of Barclays set aside for vaccinated people and just a “handful” of physically distanced seats for unvaccinated attendees.  

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel – it comes in the form of a vaccine, and we’re really delighted to be part of the vaccine effort,” he said. “We’re really looking for our fans to get vaccinated”

Abbamondi and de Blasio expect the Nets will go deep into the playoffs, so there will be several opportunities to score tickets. 

“We’re super excited for the playoffs. … We make no secret about it, we have very high ambitions for this season,” Abbamondi said.

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