The National Basketball Association team said yesterday it will offer unemployed fans tickets to five of its home games in November and December, as well as resume placement with its 120 corporate sponsors.

A NBA official said it was the first time one of its teams has given free tickets to unemployed fans.

The US economy, which many economists agree is in recession, has hurt professional sports.

NBA executives have said season-ticket sales were running behind last year's pace. The Nets have been aggressive in courting struggling fans, offering "buy-now, pay-later" season ticket plans and free gasoline cards when prices spiked during the summer.

The team will release 300 tickets per game on a first-come, first-serve basis for fans who enroll in the program.