As Hurricane Sandy tightened its grip on New York last Monday, two fans --and NetsDaily posters-- found themselves in a bad spot. Two actually. In comments on NetsDaily, they wrote about how their dream of making opening night was being swept aside, like so much else in New York, by the storm.

Jonny Black, from Northern Ireland, was already in New York for the Knicks game. He said he had come early to "soak up the atmosphere," an ironic turn of phase in light of what was happening. Matt Encarnacion, from Australia, was stuck in Hawaii (never a bad thing) with a dwindling cell phone battery and a choice to make: with New York airports shut, should he continue on to Philadelphia, he asked fellow fans, then book a bus and hope for the best? He made a last minute decision and boarded a plane with nothing more than hope and an umbrella.

NetsDaily alerted Irina Pavlova, president of Mikhail Prokhorov's ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment, who contacted the two and offered the Nets hospitality for the Knicks game. When that was cancelled, she and her executive assistant, Elaine Sedelnikova, went the extra mile, particularly with Black. His stay in New York couldn't be extended without him paying a four-figure fee. Pavlova talked to his airline, got the fee waived and even booked him directly back to Belfast!

It was an easy decision, Pavlova said. "These are the kind of fans we need!"

On Friday night, one of the team owners took Black out for drinks and on Saturday night, he, Encarnacion and their guests were given ticket upgrades (behind the Nets bench) and a tour of Barclays Center, getting first-hand views of "The Vault," the Calvin Klein Courtside Lounge, and the double suite atop mid-court where Mikhail Prokhorov holds court. Pavlova introduced them to Prokhorov who thanked them for their valiant effort in making the game, posed for pictures, talked a little basketball and autographed their "Brooklyn Fan Since Day One" t-shirts. As they exited the suite, the two met Jay-Z, Beyonce' and Adam Silver, who were on their way in! Just your typical day in the life as a Nets fan ... or as Black told us, "This is just beyond insane!"

It may be insane for other NBA teams, but not this one!

Here's Jonny's personal account...

From the moment the Knicks game was cancelled and I received an email from Irina to leaving the arena, I've never been made to feel more welcome than I was by the Nets organisation.



Just to try and get my point across here, I used to play professional soccer at Tottenham Hotspur and I would never see them giving the red carpet treatment to a random international fan and yet they are a 129-year-old institution.



It really is the little things that count and change what was a nightmare personally into a dream. Irina showed me places I'd only read about on NetsDaily and wouldn't never in my wildest dreams ever seen. I met Adam Silver, who is a amazingly nice and humble guy, Billy King, again a great guy and Mikhail Prokhorov who is an absolutely huge guy who was kind enough to sign my "Fan Since Day One" t shirt.



It all started at the VIP entrance were I first met Elaine Sedelnikova, who is Irina Pavlova's assistant. She met me with a huge smile and couldn't have been any nicer, she gave me my tickets and Calvin Klein court side club pass while getting two ushers to show me to my seat. While picking up the tickets Leo Ehrline introduced himself to me again and couldn't have been more polite and courteous.



From there I stood in awe at the court side seats and the view of the court, it was even better than the view the tv camera's have, they were that good.



I first met Irina Pavlova in the Calvin Klein club where I introduced myself because I recognized her instantly and let's be honest who wouldn't because she is absolutely stunning.



She took me on a behind the scenes tour that went from the players locker to the tunnel the players go out to the court to the Vault. Words can't describe how amazing it is to actually talk to people like Billy King, Adam Silver and Irina Pavlova.



Prokhorov is a huge imposing figure and his suite is out of this world but again I couldn't have been made more welcome. We ran into Jay Z and Beyonce when we were leaving the suite as well which again was surreal.



The beauty in this whole trip and treatment by the Nets was that they didn't have to do anything for me, I wasn't entitled to anything and I couldn't complain about a thing, but they made a huge effort for me and I can't thank everyone enough. Irina and Elaine are two of the nicest people I've ever met and they made me feel a million dollars just by being amazingly polite, warm and beautiful people. I felt so comfortable around them, it just felt great.



I'll remember last night for the rest of my life, I got a glimpse into the franchise behind the scenes and it was a beautiful thing. The standard of the arena, to the standard of people running the franchise is beyond first class and just opened my eyes to the Brooklyn Nets now being in the big market and one of the top franchises in the NBA. The crowd was packed and were looking for any opportunity to really get behind the team and it feel great, it's going to be a home court advantage for us for the first time in years.



To sum it all up, a classy organisation ran by class people who made a single foreign fan like me feel like a celebrity. I'm telling you words can't describe how welcome everyone made me feel. I felt like King for the day, it was out of this world.

Here's Matt's personal account...