Gov. Chris Christie bid the Brooklyn-bound Nets goodbye and good riddance on the eve of the NBA team's final game in New Jersey.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
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The outspoken governor held nothing back Monday when asked about the Nets' decision to leave the state after spending the past 35 years in New Jersey, including the last two in the state's largest city.

"My message to the Nets is goodbye," Christie said. "You don't want to stay here, we don't want you. I'm not going to be in the business of begging people to stay here."

Christie said that if the Nets didn't want to stay in New Jersey, the state didn't want them. He said the team spent the last two seasons in one of the country's most vibrant cities and he sarcastically said they were leaving for Brooklyn.

Speaking after a bill signing in Newark, the fiery Christie said he would not be shedding any tears over the Nets' departure.

The Nets lost their final New Jersey game to the 76ers, 108-87, allowing Philadelphia to earn the 8th and final playoff spot in the NBA"s eastern conference.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)


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