Jeffrey was a super fan, perhaps New York’s greatest fan, a Nets fan.
I don’t remember anything about the two Brooklyn Nets games I attended, but I’ll never forget Jeffrey Gamblero.
Courtesy NY Daily News
Gamblero was at every Nets home game. You couldn’t miss him. He wore neon, funky glasses and danced in the aisles throughout the game. His presence made the artificial arena tunes sound a heck of a lot better. Indeed, Jeffrey seemed like the happiest guy in Brooklyn. He was such a positive presence that the Nets invited him on a London trip.
Tragically, Jeffrey passed away in December 2014 after he fell from a two-story window.
According to Jeffrey’s fiancé, he hadn’t been himself since he was ejected from Madison Square Garden for allegedly acting unruly. Reportedly, Security carried him out without his prosthetic leg. Many at the game said that Jeffrey was just being a vocal, enthusiastic fan of his team.
During his 38 years, Jeffrey wore more than a few hats. Besides rooting for the Nets, he was a graffiti artist, professional poker player, and one heck of a dancer. When I saw him dancing, I had no idea that he had a prosthetic.
During the Knicks’ historic run, many “casual” fans jumped on the bandwagon. No doubt, Jeffrey would’ve been cheering them on.
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Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available, the undeserved sequel to Man versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures.
