The Nets are in need of some help as their first-round playoff series against the 76ers moves to Brooklyn.
Philadelphia took a 2-0 series lead, defending home court in Games 1 and 2 with ease. As the series shifts to the Barclays Center, Brooklyn will need some assistance from its home crowd in order to take down MVP finalist Joel Embiid and star guard James Harden.
That's where Mr. Whammy, a Nets superfan who is known for distracting opposing players, comes in.
Who is Mr. Whammy? And where did his nickname come from? The Sporting News has answers below.
MORE: Full schedule and updated scores for 76ers vs. Nets
Who is Mr. Whammy? Meet the Nets' superfan and secret weapon
Bruce Reznick, also known as Mr. Whammy, is a Nets superfan. The 87-year-old has been a Nets season ticket holder for 25 years, sitting on the baseline during Brooklyn (and, formerly, New Jersey) home games.
Reznick is known for his ability to distract opposing players at the free throw line, delivering "the whammy," as it has been coined by Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle.
Mr. Whammy doesn't typically taunt former Nets out of respect, and that's where his nickname was born, according to a Gothamist story done on the superfan earlier this season. When Jason Kidd was traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Mavericks back in 2007, Reznick didn't give him "the whammy," and it caught Eagle's eye.
"Ian Eagle on national TV said, 'Hey, look at that: Mr. Whammy's not giving Jason Kidd the whammy.' He gave me the name just like that on national TV, and it stuck," Reznick told the Gothamist.
"I don't whammy any ex-Nets, if they played for only a day."
Mr. Whammy has become a Nets icon, and his methods appear to be working. Toward the end of the season, Brooklyn's official Twitter account revealed that the Nets had the lowest opponent free throw percentage at home in the NBA, crediting the superfan's work.
The Whammy Effect™️ is real. pic.twitter.com/JsrEN9IkIO
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 11, 2023
If the Nets are going to stage a comeback in their first-round series against the 76ers, they'll certainly need Mr. Whammy's help.
Nets vs. 76ers playoff series schedule
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| April 15 | 76ers 121, Nets 101 | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| April 17 | 76ers 96, Nets 84 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| April 20 | Game 3 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| April 22 | Game 4 | 1 p.m. | TNT |
| April 24 | Game 5* | TBD | TBD |
| April 27 | Game 6* | TBD | TBD |
| April 29 | Game 7* | TBD | TNT |
*If necessary
