Aaron Goodwin, an agent who has represented many young players who became N.B.A. stars, said Mr. Carter’s involvement had improved the image of the Nets in athletes’ eyes. “They’re going to take the phone call now,” he said. “They’re going to take the flight in. They’re going to listen. In years past, the Nets wouldn’t have gotten that. But now they’re in the game.” Mr. Yormark said Mr. Carter was not receiving a fee for his advice or any special deals for his businesses. Yet he has attended both quarterly meetings of the arena’s board of directors, sitting to Mr. Ratner’s right, and keeps in frequent touch by phone and e-mail with Mr. Yormark.
During the Nets’ free-agency deal making this summer — obtaining Joe Johnson and re-signing Mr. Williams, among others, in hopes of improving upon their 22-44 record last season — Mr. Yormark received a call from Mr. Carter, who was following the team’s moves on television. “He said he was watching ESPN,” Mr. Yormark said, “and the size of our logo was too big, because the word Brooklyn was getting cut off on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. He said, ‘Call ESPN and get them to fix it.’ And he was right. And then they fixed it.”
When Mr. Yormark next sat down for a meeting with Mr. Carter, he recalled, the rap star reminded him of this, saying: “Brett, I’m watching. And every detail matters.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: August 17, 2012
An article on Thursday about the influence of the hip-hop superstar Jay-Z in building up the Brooklyn Nets, of which he is a part owner, erroneously included a former government official among other co-owners. Robert E. Rubin, the former Treasury secretary, is not an investor in the Nets. (Robert S. Rubin, the former president of the Brooklyn Museum, is a co-owner.)
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