New Jersey Nets
Encyclopedia
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball
team based in Newark
, New Jersey
. They are members of the Atlantic Division
of the Eastern Conference
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). The team is one of two NBA franchises in the New York metropolitan area
, along with the New York Knicks
.
An original member of the American Basketball Association
(ABA), the Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey
as the New Jersey Americans. In its early years, the team led somewhat of a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island
in 1968 and playing as the New York Nets before moving back to New Jersey in 1977. It won two ABA championships before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. Since then the team has seen periods of losing and bad luck intermittent with brief periods of success, culminating in two consecutive NBA Finals
appearances in the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons. The franchise has since fallen back to less successful ways, with four consecutive losing seasons since 2007.
After spending various parts of its history playing in the states of New Jersey and New York
, the team will relocate once again to the borough of Brooklyn
in New York City
for the 2012-2013 season once a new arena, the Barclays Center, is completed. After the move, the team will change their name to the New York Nets .
(ABA), with trucking magnate Arthur Brown as the owner. Brown had operated several AAU
teams in and around New York City
, and was viewed as an ideal pick to run the nascent league's New York franchise. The team was named the New York Americans, and Brown intended for it to play at the 69th Regiment Armory
on Manhattan's east side, but pressure from the New York Knicks
of the older National Basketball Association
(NBA) forced the Armory to back out three months before opening day. Brown found it difficult to find a suitable replacement venue in New York. Some were booked solid, and others had owners who didn't want to anger the Knicks by opening their doors to a rival team. Since the team was scrambling for a venue with opening day approaching, it finally settled on the Armory
in Teaneck, New Jersey
, and changed its team name to the New Jersey Americans, though its franchise name remained the New York Americans. This occasion would not be the last time the Knicks directly altered the franchise's future.
The Americans played fairly well in their first season
, tying the Kentucky Colonels
for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Division. However, the Armory was booked, forcing the Americans to scramble for a last-minute replacement. They found one in the Long Island Arena
in Commack, New York
.
However, when the Americans and Colonels arrived, they found a bizarre scene. The floor had several missing boards and bolts, and was unstable in several areas (one player claimed to have seen one side of the floor come up when he stepped on another). There was no padding on the backboards or basket supports, and one basket appeared to be higher than the other. There was also a large amount of condensation from a hockey game the previous night. After the Colonels refused to play, league commissioner George Mikan
ruled that the Americans had failed to provide acceptable playing conditions and forfeited the game to the Colonels.
For the second year
, the team opted to stay at the Long Island Arena, and changed its name to the New York Nets. The name "Nets" was used because it rhymes with the names of two other professional sports teams that played in the New York metropolitan area
at the time: Major League Baseball
's New York Mets
and the American Football League
's New York Jets
, and because it relates to basketball in general, as it is part of the hoop.
The team finished last in its first New York season and drew a paltry 1,108 a game – about half of what it had drawn a year earlier. They posted a hideous 17–61 record, and shuffled 23 different players on and off the roster. Brown sold the team to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe
after that season. Boe started off his ownership with a busy 1969 offseason. After failing in its pursuit for UCLA
star Lew Alcindor
, who was drafted and then signed by the National Basketball Association
's Milwaukee Bucks
, the team acquired Rick Barry
from the Virginia Squires
, and moved to the Island Garden
in West Hempstead
. The Nets finished in third place and in the playoffs
in 1969–70, and attendance went up threefold to 3,504. After spending one more year at the Island Garden, the team moved to the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
in Uniondale
for the end of the 1971–72 season.
In 1972, two years after the acquisition of Barry, the Nets advanced to the ABA finals
. However, they could not overcome the Indiana Pacers
and lost the series four games to two. Barry left after that postseason, sending the Nets into rebuilding mode. The 1972–73 season was one of disappointment, as the Nets only won 30 games.
The 1973–74 season saw the Nets finally put all the pieces together. The key event of the season though would come in the 1973 offseason, as the Nets acquired Julius Erving
from the Virginia Squires
. With Erving, who was affectionately known as "Dr. J", the Nets ended the season with a franchise record 55 victories. After Erving was voted the ABA's MVP
, the Nets advanced in the playoffs and won their first title, defeating the Utah Stars
in the 1974 ABA Finals.
The success continued into the 1974–75
season as they topped the previous season's win record by winning 58 games —a record that still stands to this day. The Nets, though, were eliminated four games to one, by the Spirits of St. Louis
in the first round of the 1975 ABA playoffs
.
The Nets
continued their winning ways in the 1975–76
season—the final season for the ABA—with Erving leading them to a successful 55-win season; he also was named MVP again that year. After a grueling series with the Denver Nuggets
, the Nets won the last ABA championship series
in league history in six games, giving the Nets their second championship in three years.
finally take place. As part of the merger agreement, four teams from the ABA—the Nets, Nuggets
, Pacers and San Antonio Spurs
—joined the NBA. The Nets and Nuggets had actually applied to join the NBA in 1975, but were forced to play a lame-duck season in the ABA by court order. Prior to their first NBA season, the Nets traded two draft picks to the Kansas City Kings
for guard Nate Archibald
. The Nets appeared to be poised to pick up where they left off in the ABA.
However, they got a rude surprise when the NBA forced the Nets to pay an additional $4.8 million directly to the Knicks for "invading" the New York area. Coming on the heels of the $3.2 million that the team had to pay for joining the NBA, this left Boe short of cash, and he was forced to renege on a promised pay raise for Erving. Erving refused to play for the Nets under these conditions and refused to report to camp.
The Nets offered Erving's contract to the Knicks in return for waiving the indemnity, but the Knicks turned it down. When the Philadelphia 76ers
offered to acquire Erving for $3 million—roughly the same amount they had to pay for NBA membership--Boe had little choice but to accept. In essence, the Nets were forced to trade their franchise player for a berth in the NBA.
Without Erving, the Nets wrote off the season as a lost cause. However, they lost all semblance of respectability when Archibald broke his foot in January. The team
finished at 22–60, the worst record in the league. The team did set one record of sorts; in February 1977, they became the first NBA team ever to have an all-left-handed starting lineup, with Tim Bassett
, Al Skinner
, Bubbles Hawkins, Dave Wohl
, and Kim Hughes.
Prior to the 1977–78 season, Boe moved the franchise back to New Jersey, and renamed the team the New Jersey Nets. While the team awaited the completion of a new arena at the Meadowlands Sports Complex
, they played four seasons at the Rutgers Athletic Center (later renamed the Louis Brown Athletic Center
) on the Kilmer Campus (now "Livingston" Campus) of Rutgers University
in Piscataway, NJ. In 1978, Boe sold the team to a group of seven local businessmen (led by Joe Taub and Alan N. Cohen
) who became known as the "Secaucus
Seven". (The name was a reference to the John Sayles
movie Return of the Secaucus 7
, which itself was a pun on the 60s radical group the Chicago Seven
.) The first four years in New Jersey were disappointing, as the Nets failed to post a winning season.
, the Nets were having their best season since joining the NBA. However, Brown accepted the head coaching job at the University of Kansas during the last month of the season and was suspended for the rest of the season. The Nets would never recover from the coaching change and would lose in the first round of the playoffs to their Hudson River rival New York Knicks
.
In the 1983–84 season, the Nets fielded what was believed to be their best team since joining the league. Led by Darryl Dawkins
, Buck Williams
, Otis Birdsong
, and Micheal Ray Richardson
, the team won their first NBA playoff series, defeating the defending champion 76ers in the first round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs
before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks
in the Eastern Conference
semifinals in six games.
Injuries plagued the team during the 1984–85 season, but the Nets still managed to win 42 games before being eliminated from the playoffs
by the Detroit Pistons
in three games. New Jersey would not have a winning record until another eight seasons (1992–93).
helped lead the Nets to a respectable record at the beginning of the 1985–86 season, posting a 23–14 start. New Jersey's promising start dissipated with the loss of two of its top scorers. All-Star Micheal Ray Richardson flunked a drug test for the third time and was banned from the league for life, and star center Darryl Dawkins
only played 39 games due to a back injury. Long-time Nets veterans Buck Williams and Mike Gminski
filled in the gap and powered the club on both offense and defense, helping the Nets earn the 7th seed in the 1986 NBA Playoffs
before being swept by the Milwaukee Bucks
in the first round. (The Nets would not qualify for the playoffs until the 1991–92 NBA season).
New Jersey acquired Orlando Woolridge
and drafted
Dwayne "Pearl" Washington
in hopes of strengthening the faltering team, yet the season only brought more misfortune to the Garden State. Dawkins slipped in his bathtub and suffered another back injury, effectively ending his career. Birdsong played in only seven games while nursing a shin stress fracture and Washington had a shoddy rookie year performance. A formerly solid backcourt soon became plagued with injuries and contract disputes. The Nets ended the 1986–87 season with a 24–58 record, the club's worst finish since 1980.
Hoping to maximize the team's health in the upcoming season, the Nets traded injury-plagued Dawkins in a three-way deal that brought John Bagley and Keith Lee
to New Jersey. The Nets selected Dennis Hopson
(over Scottie Pippen
, Reggie Miller
and Kevin Johnson
) as the third pick of the 1987 NBA draft
in hopes of re-establishing a stable backcourt . However the injury bug bit again when Bagley, Lee and reserve Tony Brown
became hurt at the start of the upcoming 1987–88 season. New Jersey axed coach Wohl after 15 games, going through three coaches, in what would be the franchise's worst record since entering the NBA, finishing with a second-to-last place league finish.
Hopson was never able to live up to the organization's expectations and the subsequent first round draft picks of Chris Morris
(1988
) and Mookie Blaylock
(1989
) failed to prevent the team from earning the worst record in the NBA and in team history by the turn of the decade.
During the early 1990s the Nets began to improve behind a core of young players. New Jersey drafted forward Derrick Coleman
with the first pick of the 1990 draft and then took guard Kenny Anderson
with the second pick of the following draft. The Nets later added Dražen Petrović
in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers
. Although the Nets did not finish with a winning record in the 1991-92 season, they finished sixth overall in the conference and qualified for the playoffs
. The Nets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers
in the first round, three games to one, and coach Bill Fitch left after the season.
, who had been let go by the Detroit Pistons following the 1991-92 season, was hired by the Nets and immediately paid dividends. However, injuries to both Anderson and Petrovic toward the end of the season sent the team into a 1–10 slump to end the regular season. The Nets finished the season at 43–39, which again earned them the sixth seed and a date with the Cavaliers in the first round
. With Anderson out with a broken hand and Petrovic playing on an injured knee, the Nets lost a tough five-game series.
The Nets experienced tragedy in the offseason, as Petrovic was killed in an auto accident in Germany. Still, the team managed to win 45 games during the 1993–94 season. Anderson and Coleman made their only All-Star appearances this season. The Nets again qualified for the playoffs as the East's sixth seed, but were eliminated by the New York Knicks
the first round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs
, three games to one.
was hired to be the team's head coach. The Nets struggled through the rest of the decade. During the mid-1990s the NBA's main image problem was that of the selfish, immature athlete and if one wanted to see a team that embodied that image, all one had to do was look at the Nets. In 1995, Coleman was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
as the poster child of the selfish NBA player, but with Anderson, Benoit Benjamin
, Dwayne Schintzius
and Chris Morris also on the roster, there were plenty of candidates for SI to choose from. The team's image was so poor that in an effort to shed its losing image, management considered renaming the team "Swamp Dragons" or the "Fire Dragons" in 1994, but rejected the idea. In both the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons, the Nets finished with identical 30–52 records. Beard was fired after the second of those two seasons.
head coach John Calipari
to coach the team. Kerry Kittles
was selected in the 1996 NBA Draft
and midway through the 1996–97 season, the team traded for Sam Cassell
. After a 26–56 win–loss season, the Nets made a major draft
-day trade in June 1997, acquiring Keith Van Horn
, Lucious Harris
and two other players for Tim Thomas
. The only player from the early 1990s that the Nets retained was Jayson Williams
, who was developing into a rebounding specialist.
The 1997–98 season saw several changes for the Nets. The first saw the discarding of the team's previous logo in favor of the current logo the team still has. The second was the team's style of play, which resulted in the Nets staying in playoff contention for most of the season. The team played well under Calipari, winning 43 games and qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the season. Power forward Jayson Williams was selected as a reserve in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game
. The Nets were seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Chicago Bulls
in the 1998 playoffs
in three straight games. The Nets played well and came close to taking the first two games.
The "Secaucus Seven" sold the team in 1998 to a group of local real estate developers led by Raymond Chambers and Lewis Katz, who called themselves the "Community Youth Organization" and had an intent of moving the team to Newark, New Jersey. The next year the group signed an agreement with New York Yankees
owner George Steinbrenner
to form YankeeNets, a holding company that would own the two teams along and increase leverage in future broadcast contracts by negotiating together. After receiving offers from numerous broadcast partners, including what was then their current rights holder Cablevision, YankeeNets decided to launch a new regional sports television called YES Network
.
The 1998–99 season was delayed for three months due to an owners' lockout
of the players. When the abbreviated 50-game season began, the Nets were a fashionable choice by experts as a surprise team after their previous run. However, Cassell was injured in the first game and the team started poorly. With the Nets underachieving at 3–15, the Nets traded Cassell to the Bucks, while the Nets acquired Stephon Marbury
from the Minnesota Timberwolves
. After two more losses, Calipari was fired and replaced by assistant coach Don Casey
. The team never recovered from its poor start to finish at 16–34. With the Nets already eliminated from playoff contention in April, Marbury collided with Williams in a game against the Atlanta Hawks
; Williams broke his tibia
, the second time he had suffered such an injury in two years, and would never play in the NBA again.
In 2000, the Nets hired as the team president Rod Thorn, a longtime NBA executive best known for drafting Michael Jordan
while he was the Bulls' general manager. Immediately, he began to assemble the components of the franchise's most talented team since the ABA champions of the mid-1970s. He started by hiring former NBA star Byron Scott
as coach. With the first pick in the notoriously weak 2000 Draft
, the Nets selected Kenyon Martin
from the University of Cincinnati
. Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn had become stars in New Jersey. Marbury made the All-NBA 3rd Team in 2000 and his very first All-Star Game
in 2001. But despite his individual efforts, constant injuries hindered the team's chemistry and the Nets failed to reach to the playoffs in each of Marbury's seasons as a starter. On the night of the 2001 Draft
, they traded the rights to their first round selection (Eddie Griffin
) to the Houston Rockets
for Richard Jefferson
, Jason Collins
and Brandon Armstrong
, and selected Brian Scalabrine
in the second round. The trade was widely considered a smart move by the Nets as they needed to get younger and clear out much of the dead weight that was on the bench, as the Nets had the lowest scoring and oldest bench in the league the previous season.
Just one day after the 2001 Draft
, Thorn made his boldest move. He traded all-star Marbury and role player Johnny Newman
to the Phoenix Suns
for all-star/All-NBA point guard Jason Kidd
and center Chris Dudley
(whom the Nets later released). The move gave the team something it had been lacking for practically its entire NBA existence, a floor leader who also made his teammates better. The Nets also signed former 76ers center Todd MacCulloch
, who at the time was considered to be a rising center in the league.
That season, the Nets had their best season in their NBA history and in the process became one of the most exciting teams in the league. The team won its first Atlantic Division title, finishing the regular season at 52–30 and were seeded first in Eastern Conference and faced Indiana in the first round of the 2002 NBA Playoffs
.
After losing the first game at home, the Nets then went on to win the next two games, before losing game four on the road. In front of a sellout crowd, the Nets played one of the more memorable games in NBA Playoff history in game five. The Nets led by nine points with five minutes remaining in regulation, however Reggie Miller
made a 35-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. After Miller sent the game into double-overtime with a driving dunk, the Nets pulled away for a 120–109 victory. It is the only game in NBA history to end every quarter—the first quarter, first half, third quarter, second half, and first overtime—tied.
In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the Charlotte Hornets four games to one to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time facing the Boston Celtics. This series is remembered for Kidd having his left eye swollen shut diving for a loose ball in game, he received 32 stitches. After winning game one versus the Celtics, the Nets lost game two at home. In game three, the Nets led by 21 points going into the final period, but a tremendous Celtic comeback gave the Celtics a 94–90 victory and a 2–1 series lead. In game four played on Memorial Day
afternoon in Boston, the Nets led most of the way but once again the Celtics found a way to tie the game with a minute remaining. However, in this game the Nets made enough plays at the end of the game to win it—Harris made two free throws with 6.6 seconds left and when Paul Pierce
missed two free throws that would have tied the game with 1 second left, the series was tied at two games each. In game five, the Nets went on a 20–1 run early in the fourth quarter to coast to a 103–92 victory and a 3–2 lead in the series. In game 6, the Nets trailed by 10 at halftime, but rallied in the second half to take the lead. Van Horn's three pointer off a Kittles pass with 50 seconds left in the game clinched the Nets their first Eastern Conference Championship, four games to two.
In the 2002 NBA Finals
, the Nets were swept by Shaquille O'Neal
, Kobe Bryant
and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before the 2002–03 season, the Nets traded Van Horn and MacCulloch to obtain Dikembe Mutombo
from the 76ers. The move to improve the team did not work out as Mutombo sat out most of the season with a wrist injury, but received little time in the playoffs due to differences with coach Byron Scott. Despite Mutombo's absence, the Nets finished with a 49–33 record and repeated as Atlantic Division champs. Kidd in the process had his best season ever and contributions from Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, and Sixth Man of The Year Runner-Up Lucious Harris
soften the load. In the 2003 NBA Playoffs
, the Nets won their second consecutive Eastern Conference championship. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks
in the first round of the playoffs four games to two, then swept the Celtics and Detroit Pistons in consecutive series to advance to the 2003 NBA Finals
, this time facing the Western Conference
champion San Antonio Spurs
. They split the first four games in the series. At the same time, the Nets' home court hosted the New Jersey Devils
third Stanley Cup
celebration in 9 years, following their 3–0 win over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals
. However the Nets played erratically in a Game 5 loss at home to go down in the series three games to two. In Game 6, the Nets led the Spurs by 10 points on the road with 10 minutes remaining, but the Spurs went on a 19–0 run to take the title in six games, which denied the state of New Jersey the distinction of having both NBA and NHL titles in the same year.
Following the 2003 Finals, Kidd became a free agent and the Spurs pursued signing him away from the Nets. However, Kidd re-signed with the Nets, stating that he had "unfinished business" in New Jersey. Another factor in Kidd's decision was the signing of free-agent Alonzo Mourning
. But Mourning's tenure with the Nets would be disastrous, as he missed most of the 2003–04 season due to a kidney ailment.
During the 2003–04 season, New Jersey performed poorly early in the season, and in late December head coach Byron Scott was fired. Lawrence Frank
became the interim head coach on January 26, 2004, succeeding Scott, after serving as an assistant coach with the team since the 2000–01 season.
The Nets rebounded from their early season lull, winning a record 13 games to start Frank's coaching career, and again won the Atlantic Division title, and swept their crosstown rival Knicks
in the first round
. However, their run of conference championships was halted in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals by the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons
. After the teams split the first four games, each won large routs at home, the Nets took Game 5 in Detroit in triple-overtime, only to fall short in Game 6 in New Jersey. The Pistons won Game 7 in a rout and took the series 4 games to 3. Jason Kidd
, playing on an injured knee that eventually required surgery after the season, was held scoreless in Game 7.
Around the time Frank was hired, on January 21, 2004, a deal was reached with real estates developer Bruce Ratner
to buy the team for $300 million, defeating a similar offer by Charles Kushner
and Senator Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey. Ratner had purchased the team with the intent of moving it to a new arena in Brooklyn, which was to be a centerpiece of the large-scale Atlantic Yards
development. This project would eventually face repeated delays.
After the season, The Nets were forced to revamp the team. They traded Kerry Kittles and Kenyon Martin to the Clippers
and Nuggets
respectively and released Rodney Rogers
and longtime Net Lucious Harris
, because new owner Bruce Ratner was unwilling to pay the remainder of their contracts. They received only draft picks in return for two key players in the team's recent success. Unbeknownst to New Jersey however, was the fact that Kittles went under the knife for the fifth time to correct his knee, and Martin would need microfracture surgery in both knees. The 2004–05 season looked gloomy at first for the Nets. Their star Kidd was recovering from his own microfracture surgery and the young Richard Jefferson was handed the reins for New Jersey. The team got off to a 2–11 start, and even with Jason Kidd returning from injury, the outlook was bleak. However, the Nets made a major deal by obtaining disgruntled star Vince Carter
from the Toronto Raptors
in exchange for Mourning, who was released by the Raptors (and subsequently rejoined the Miami Heat
), Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and draft picks. Mourning himself had become disgruntled, saying the Nets "betrayed" him and that New Jersey's progress to that point was not what he "signed up for". This move made the Nets major players again, as they featured one of the top 1-2-3's in the league with Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson respectively. However, it was short lived, as Jefferson was injured in a game against the Detroit Pistons
, and would require season ending surgery.
However, this would not doom the Nets entirely. Teamed with Kidd, a rejuvenated Vince Carter rallied the team from being more than 10 games out of the playoffs to gain the final seed in the Eastern Conference
with a win in the last game of the season. However, the Nets could not overcome Shaquille O'Neal
again even with Jefferson back from his injury and were swept by the Heat
in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs
.
During the offseason of 2005, the Nets actively pursued a starting-quality power forward through free agency. They had drafted Antoine Wright
, a 6' 7" swingman because all the talented power forwards were taken in the draft, and still needed to fill the void left by Kenyon Martin.
Eventually settling on Shareef Abdur-Rahim
, they actively courted him and gained his approval even though they could only offer him the mid-level exception. In order to get him a larger, more lucrative contract, the Nets pursued a sign-and-trade with Portland. There, negotiations hit a snag because Portland demanded a first-round draft pick, which the Nets adamantly refused to part with. Eventually, the Nets agreed to give Portland a protected first-round pick and their trade exception acquired from the Kerry Kittles trade. This allowed the Nets to keep their mid-level exception for signing other players. However, Thorn decided to void the Abdur-Rahim trade when he failed his physical examination because of a pre-existing knee injury. Abdur-Rahim would vehemently deny any injury and said he felt like "damaged goods". He would need surgery at the end of the '07 season. To fill Abdur-Rahim's slot on the roster, the Nets acquired Marc Jackson
from the Sixers.
They used part of the remaining mid-level exception to re-sign Clifford Robinson
for two years in response to Brian Scalabrine
's departure. A back-up to Kidd was also sought and they actively courted free agents such as Keyon Dooling
before eventually signing Jeff McInnis
. McInnis was a non-factor in the Nets' season due to injury and eventually was traded.
The Nets started the 2005–06 season slowly, struggling to a 9–12 record in their first 21 games. However, behind strong play by Carter, Kidd, and Jefferson the team won their next 10 games (their final 8 games in December and first two games in January) to surge to top of the division. After the winning streak, the Nets returned to their earlier mediocre play (winning only 13 of their next 29 games), but starting on March 12 the Nets won their next 14 games in a row—the longest winning streak in the NBA that season and matching the franchise record set in 2004. The streak ended on April 8, 2006 when the Nets loss to the Cavaliers
108–102 at home. However, they also set a team record with 20 road victories that season.
The Nets finished the 2005–06 regular season with a 49–33 record. They clinched their 4th Atlantic Division championship in the last five seasons and the 3rd seed the Eastern Conference playoffs, playing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs
. It seemed they had returned to their elite status of a few years back. They defeated the Pacers and advanced to the second round where they played the Heat, in a rematch of 2005's first round Eastern Conference loss. On May 16, 2006, the Nets lost the best-of-seven series 4–1 to the Heat. Nets fans were left to wonder what might have been as Cliff Robinson, one of the team's key defenders against Shaq, was suspended following Game 1 of that series for failing a drug test.
Highlights of the season include the naming of Vince Carter to the All-Star Team
in 2006. Originally named as a reserve, an injury to Jermaine O'Neal
elevated Carter to a starting position. Kidd, meanwhile, was named to the NBA All-Defensive team at the end of the season.
The 2006–07 NBA season fared poorly for the Nets but finished on a bright note, as they suffered a barrage of injuries starting in the preseason to mid-December. Many experts predicted they would win the Atlantic easily (Charles Barkley
went as far as to say the Nets would win the Eastern Conference), but the season did not turn out as hoped. The Nets finished the regular season at .500 (41–41) and lost the Atlantic Division title to the surprising Toronto Raptors
. The early-season loss of Nenad Krstić
to a freak knee
injury and the two-month absence of Richard Jefferson
caused by an ankle injury caused the Nets to stumble mid-season. However, Jefferson went back into action on March 9 against Houston and helped the Nets regain a winning momentum, allowing them to win 10 of their last 13 games. Among the highlights of the regular season were the naming of Kidd and Carter to the '07 East All-Star team and Kidd's selection to the 2007 All-Defensive 2nd Team. New Jersey finished with the 6th seed in the East and faced the 3rd seeded Toronto Raptors, feeding their newly developed rivalry. The Nets beat the Raptors in six games thanks in part to the fourth quarter heroics of Richard Jefferson on both ends of the floor lifting them to a one-point victory. Many sportswriters picked the Nets to beat Cleveland and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but their playoff run ended in the following round as they fell to the LeBron James
-led Cleveland Cavaliers
4–2 in the best-of-seven series. During their runs for the NBA title, New Jersey had been eliminated by three of the last four Eastern Conference champs, two of whom went on to win the title. In the 2007 NBA Draft
, the Nets used the 17th pick to pick "troubled" Boston College
player Sean Williams.
For the 2007–08 season, fans were excited for the upcoming season. With Krstić returning from injury and the additions of All-Star center Jamaal Magloire
& 1st round pick Sean Williams (who was regarded as the best shot blocker in his draft class), the Nets were anticipated to remain a contender in the East. But it resulted in what many Nets fans considered the most disappointing season of the decade. Early injuries to Vince Carter
and Nenad Krstić
disrupted the Nets season from the get-go. With little bright notes, the season was a complete mess: a 9-game losing streak for the Nets, the Jason Kidd "headache", trading their franchise player, and not making it to the post season for the first time in 7 years. On February 19, 2008, Jason Kidd
, Malik Allen
, and Antoine Wright
were traded to the Dallas Mavericks
for future Nets All-Star Devin Harris
, Keith Van Horn
, Maurice Ager
, DeSagana Diop
, Trenton Hassell
, $3 million, and 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks. However, despite young players like Josh Boone
and Sean Williams becoming major contributors and Marcus Williams showing progress, there were few bright notes. Other noteworthy feats included Richard Jefferson's rank as number nine in scoring for the season, Vince Carter's emergence as the leader of the Nets, and Carter's average of at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game, a season accomplishment unique to him, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. After failing to make it to the playoffs, team president Rod Thorn promised changes would be made, while Coach Lawrence Frank
vowed that "a season like this will never happen again" under his tenure.
The following offseason proved to be very busy for the Nets. On June 26, 2008, Richard Jefferson
was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
for Yi Jianlian
and Bobby Simmons
. Jefferson's departure, along with that of Jason Kidd
earlier that year, marked the beginning of a new era in the Garden State. The Nets signed draftees Brook Lopez
and Ryan Anderson
, along with Chris Douglas-Roberts
. The Nets filled out their youthful roster by signing veterans Eduardo Najera
and Jarvis Hayes
, and trading for Orlando point guard Keyon Dooling
. The Nets finished the season with their second straight 34–48 record, tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks
. Devin Harris made his 1st All-Star team and narrowly missed winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, and Brook Lopez finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting.
On June 26, 2009, the Nets traded Vince Carter
and Ryan Anderson
to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston
, Courtney Lee
and Tony Battie
.
On September 24, 2009, Mikhail Prokhorov
, Russia
's 2nd richest man according to Forbes, confirmed his intention to become majority owner of the Nets. Prokhorov sent an offer to the team owners requesting that the control shareholding of the basketball club be sold to his company, Onexim, for a symbolic price. In return, Prokhorov would fund a loan for the construction of a $700 million arena in Brooklyn and attract additional funds from Western banks. Prokhorov stated that he initiated the deal to push Russian basketball to a new level of development.
After a 16th straight loss (against the Sacramento Kings
) to start the 2009–2010 NBA season
, the Nets fired head coach Lawrence Frank
. Assistant coach Tom Barrise
stepped in as a temporary replacement. He lost his first two games heading the team, an away game against the Los Angeles Lakers
and then to the Dallas Mavericks
at home, to set the mark for worst start to a season in NBA history at 0–18 (one more than the previous record holder, the 1988-89 Miami Heat
). Kiki Vandeweghe replaced him as head coach on December 4, with Del Harris
hired as his new assistant. The duo won their first game at home against the Charlotte Bobcats
, 97–91, to break the Nets arduous 19-game losing streak stretching from the final game of the 2008–09 season, and to keep the record for worst start to a season at 18 straight.
On March 29, 2010, the Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs
for the first time since the 2003 NBA Finals
. The win was their 10th of the season, keeping them out of the record books for the worst season of all time, a distinction held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers season. Still, the Nets finished with a 12-70 record, only the fifth team to lose 70 games in a season, shared by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73), 1986-87 Los Angeles Clippers
(12-70), 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks
(11-71) and 1997-98 Denver Nuggets
(11-71).
On February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
. The Nets would begin playing in Newark in the 2010-11 season and remain there until the Barclays Center opens in Brooklyn.
There was significant optimism going into the off-season, especially as the Nets begin promoting their "It's All New" campaign while looking forward to a new home, new owner, new coach, and new players. They also held the best chance of landing the top pick on the 2010 NBA Draft
, with which John Wall
was eventually drafted. However, luck would once again not be on the Nets' side, as on May 18, 2010, the Nets received the 3rd overall pick in the draft; they selected Derrick Favors
out of Georgia Tech, a power forward.
On June 10, 2010, Avery Johnson
was named the new head coach of the Nets. Sam Mitchell
was named assistant coach shortly thereafter. With owners Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z, general manager Rod Thorn, and Johnson, who at the point had the best winning percentage of any coach in NBA history, on board, the Nets head into the free agency period with plenty of cap space and the intent to pursue the top free agents that year. They actively courted Lebron James
, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh
to sign with the team and had the cap space to sign at least one of them; however, all three eventually signed with the Miami Heat
. The Nets' biggest off-season acquisition turned out to be Travis Outlaw
, who would later have a poor first year for the team.
Adding to the chaotic and ultimately disappointing off-season was the announcement that Rod Thorn, the team's long-time president who was responsible for building the successful Nets teams of the early 2000's, would resign on June 25, 2010. On July 14, 2010, Billy King
was named the new general manager of the Nets to replace Thorn.
The Nets started their first season in Newark poorly. Part of the reason was the distractions created by trade rumors regarding Carmelo Anthony
, whom many presumed wanted to leave the Denver Nuggets
. With the entire team except Brook Lopez
, Sasha Vujacic
and Jordan Farmar
rumored to be part of a proposed trade for Anthony at some point, the team struggled to a 17-40 record at the All-Star Break, when Anthony was finally traded to the cross-river rival Knicks. However, a week later, on February 23, 2011, the Nets made a surprising trade deadline deal to acquire two time All-Star point guard Deron Williams
. The trade involved sending Devin Harris
and rookie Derrick Favors
to the Utah Jazz
including draft picks from the Golden State Warriors
and cash considerations. The team went on to lose the first three games with Williams in the lineup, and then win five straight. However, with Williams hampered with a wrist injury that forced him to sit for most of the last games of the season, the Nets ended up only winning two more games, and finished with a 24–58 record.
(eventually a new arena, the Prudential Center, was built in Newark), YankeeNets
sold the franchise to a group headed by real estate developer Bruce Ratner
for $300 million, beating out a group led by Charles Kushner
and Jon Corzine
. While Kushner and Corzine wanted to keep the Nets in New Jersey, Ratner planned to move the team back to New York
. In 2005 the Nets announced plans to locate the team in the Prospect Heights
neighborhood of Brooklyn
. One of the members of the ownership group is rap mogul and Brooklyn native Jay-Z
.
The Barclays Center is the center of an extensive redevelopment project called the Atlantic Yards
being built by Ratner's real estate development company. The site of the arena is nearby to the site that Walter O'Malley
wanted to use for a new stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers
in the early 1950s. The plan was rejected and resulted in the team's relocation to Los Angeles
in 1958. The Nets would be the first major professional sports team to play home games in Brooklyn since the departure of the Dodgers.
On September 23, 2009, Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov
agreed to a $200 million deal to become a principal owner of the Nets and a key investor in the team's proposed home in Brooklyn.
In October 2009, the Nets played two preseason games at the Prudential Center. The two preseason games were successful, and a deal that would have the Nets play at the Prudential Center for the 2010–11 and 2011-12 NBA seasons became more likely. After nearly falling apart when the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority refused to release the Nets from their lease at Izod, negotiations resumed, and on February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, until Barclays Center opens.
After the dismissal of major pending lawsuits, groundbreaking for Barclays Center was on March 11, 2010.
On September 26, 2011, the team officially announced that the team's new name would be the Brooklyn Nets, after the completion of the 2011-12 NBA season. The rapper Jay-Z
, who is a part owner of the team, hosted the press conference where the announcement was made.
, which the Nets joined after the merger of the operations of the Yankees
and Nets (under the corporation banner YankeeNets). After the dissolution of YankeeNets and Bruce Ratner's purchase of the team, YES signed a long term deal to keep broadcasting Nets games. The sale to the Ratner group did not include the percentage of YES that was previously owned by the Nets, which remains with the pre-merger Nets owners. Prior to that the Nets' TV home was Fox Sports Net New York
and SportsChannel New York
.
The team's local broadcast partner is WWOR-TV
, and games have aired on WLNY
in the past as well.
The current flagship radio station of the Nets is WFAN
, who took over the radio rights to the Nets after losing their basketball contract with the Knicks
(who moved to WEPN
). Prior to that, Nets games aired on WNEW-AM
, WMCA
, WVNJ-AM
, WNBC-AM, WQEW
, and WOR.
In the club's early ABA years, some Sunday road games were televised in a package carried by WPIX-TV. The team's later ABA tenure featured more frequent road telecasts on current broadcast partner, WWOR-TV
. Known then as WOR-TV it continued airing road games for a time once the team joined the NBA in 1976.
and Ian Eagle
share television duties for the Nets. Eagle became the lead television voice for the team in 1995 after serving as the team's radio voice for one year, while Albert joined the Nets following his firing by MSG Network
in 2005 after four decades as the lead voice of the New York Knicks
. When Albert joined the broadcast team, he became the lead broadcaster with Eagle his substitute; beginning in the 2009-10 season, due to Albert's advancing age and his other commitments Eagle once again assumed the lead play by play spot. Mike Fratello
is the analyst, with Jim Spanarkel
substituting for him when Fratello is away calling other action.
is the Nets' current radio flagship, the station having assumed radio rights from WOR
following the 2002-03 season. Chris Carrino
and Tim Capstraw
comprise the broadcast team, Carrino on play-by-play and Capstraw as the analyst.
Other broadcasters who have worked for the Nets include Howard David
, Bob Papa
, Bill Raftery
, Kelly Tripucka
, Albert King
, Mike O'Koren
, Spencer Ross
, Mel Proctor
, Joe Tait
, John Sterling
, Mike DiTomasso, WFAN
update man John Minko
and Mark Jackson
.
During the club's ABA years, announcers included Marty Glickman
, Marv's brother, Steve Albert
, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson
, Bob Goldsholl, as well as Sterling and DiTomasso. The latter two joined the club's move into the NBA.
List of National Basketball Association Retired Numbers
NBA Executive of the Year
All-NBA First Team
All-NBA Second Team
All-NBA Third Team
NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie First Team
NBA Rookie Second Team
, to the Philadelphia 76ers. Upon transferring to the NBA, the Nets were considered "encroachers" on the Knicks territory, and were penalized with a fine which made it impossible for the former ABA champions to retain their star. Although both teams now play in what is considered the New York market, the Knicks always receive more notoriety in the media, no matter how the two teams are faring. Additionally, as New Jerseyans are typically subject to jokes about their state from New Yorkers, Nets fans from NJ hold a particular animosity towards New York's club. Although for most of their respective histories, the Nets and Knicks had traded dominance in the NY area, the rivalry began to heat up in the early 2000s. With the trade of Stephon Marbury to the Suns for franchise savior Jason Kidd, the Nets became the class of the Eastern Conference in 2001. Due to the long-noted discrepancy in media coverage between the New York and New Jersey ball clubs, upon being signed Kidd promised the Nets would no longer play second fiddle to the Knicks. Over the next few years the Nets handily defeated the Knicks in the majority of their games (20–4).
The rivalry was again turned up a notch, when Stephon Marbury, the once vilified point guard in New Jersey who was traded for Kidd, was traded to the Knicks in 2004. Marbury and Kidd had their own rivalry, with Kidd being the consensus best-point-guard-in-the-league and Marbury declaring himself the league's best point guard. The two stars who had once been traded for one another now found each other on opposite sides of an intense rivalry and each guards' team was motivated to prove its supremacy in the metropolitan area. Some members of the Knicks went so far as to say that they wanted to face New Jersey (the reigning two time Eastern Conference champion at the time) in the playoffs. The Nets would sweep the Knicks in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. Though both teams have seen a fluctuation of success in recent years, the rivalry between the two teams and their fans remains fierce.
Since Mikhail Prokhorov purchased the team in 2010, he has taken frequent jabs at the Knicks and their ownership. He has stated that he wishes to "turn Knicks fans into Nets fans" when the team relocates, and that he was happy the Nets caused the Knicks to overpay for Carmelo Anthony (by increasing their own offers in the "Carmelo Sweepstakes"). Both sides have begun marketing in earnest throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, often proclaiming they are the sole "team of the borough" with billboards displaying their newly acquired superstars, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams. When the Knicks responded to some of the Nets' marketing push with a commercial stating "You can walk like us, you can talk like us, but you ain't never gonna be like us" Prokhorov responded, "I think we'd more like to be like the Lakers (winners of 17 NBA championships)".
When the division rivals meet in New Jersey, the arena is often evenly split between Nets and Knicks fans. This is due in part to the fact that the two teams are separated by only the Hudson River, however the primary reason is that the tickets at the Prudential Center are comparatively cheaper than those sold at Madison Square Garden. The atmosphere is often tense amongst "warring" fan bases trying to establish control of the "home court advantage". This would be most comparable to Lakers vs Clippers (both teams play home games at the Staples Center), NCAA basketball tournament games, and the NFL Super Bowl where a neutral arena is chosen.
became rivals of the Nets in the early 2000s due to their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was precluded by trash talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a "fake" tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands. Celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of "Wife Beater!" in response to Kidd's 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, with some brandishing signs that read "Will someone please stab Paul Pierce?" referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin
stated "Our fans hate them, their fans hate us." Bill Walton
said at the time that Nets-Celtics was the "beginning of the next great NBA rivalry" during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with the Nets advancing to the NBA Finals, though New Jersey would go on to sweep Boston in the 2003 playoffs. Although the Celtics are currently one of the top teams in the East and the Nets are rebuilding, the fact that both are in the Atlantic Division and the New York–New England dynamic (seen between the MLB's Yankees and Red Sox, and the NFL's Giants/Jets and Patriots) maintains the Nets-Celtics rivalry.
will become the exclusive NBA Developmental League affiliate of the Nets. This will make the Nets the second team to opt for a D-League "hybrid affiliation," (the first was the Houston Rockets
with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
.) Springfield ownership will maintain control over business, marketing, and day-to-day operations; however, the New Jersey Nets will have control over coaching and player decisions. This hybrid model has been well received by GMs and owners.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. They are members of the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). The team is one of two NBA franchises in the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
, along with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
An original member of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA), the Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
as the New Jersey Americans. In its early years, the team led somewhat of a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in 1968 and playing as the New York Nets before moving back to New Jersey in 1977. It won two ABA championships before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. Since then the team has seen periods of losing and bad luck intermittent with brief periods of success, culminating in two consecutive NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
appearances in the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons. The franchise has since fallen back to less successful ways, with four consecutive losing seasons since 2007.
After spending various parts of its history playing in the states of New Jersey and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the team will relocate once again to the borough of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for the 2012-2013 season once a new arena, the Barclays Center, is completed. After the move, the team will change their name to the New York Nets .
1967 to 1976 – The ABA years
The franchise was established in 1967 as a founding member of the American Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA), with trucking magnate Arthur Brown as the owner. Brown had operated several AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
teams in and around New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and was viewed as an ideal pick to run the nascent league's New York franchise. The team was named the New York Americans, and Brown intended for it to play at the 69th Regiment Armory
69th Regiment Armory
The 69th Regiment Armory located at 68 Lexington Avenue between East 25th and 26th Streets in Manhattan, New York City is a historical building which began construction in 1904 and was completed in 1906. The building is still used to house the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment, as well as for the...
on Manhattan's east side, but pressure from the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the older National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) forced the Armory to back out three months before opening day. Brown found it difficult to find a suitable replacement venue in New York. Some were booked solid, and others had owners who didn't want to anger the Knicks by opening their doors to a rival team. Since the team was scrambling for a venue with opening day approaching, it finally settled on the Armory
Teaneck Armory
Teaneck Armory at 1799 Teaneack Road is an armory and arena located on a site in Teaneck, New Jersey. A facility of the New Jersey National Guard, it is home to the Soccer Coliseum.-History:...
in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, and changed its team name to the New Jersey Americans, though its franchise name remained the New York Americans. This occasion would not be the last time the Knicks directly altered the franchise's future.
The Americans played fairly well in their first season
1967–68 ABA season
The 1967–68 ABA season was the first season for the American Basketball Association. The ABA was challenging the National Basketball Association. The ABA introduced a red, white and blue basketball. They also used a 30 second shot clock as opposed to the NBA's 24 second shot clock. The ABA also...
, tying the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Division. However, the Armory was booked, forcing the Americans to scramble for a last-minute replacement. They found one in the Long Island Arena
Long Island Arena
Long Island Arena was a 4,000-seat indoor arena in Commack, New York from 1959 until 1996. The Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Hockey League, a popular team in the small community, called the Arena home from 1959 until the league folded in 1973, one year after the New York Islanders came into...
in Commack, New York
Commack, New York
Commack is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the towns of Huntington and Smithtown in Suffolk County, New York, United States on Long Island...
.
However, when the Americans and Colonels arrived, they found a bizarre scene. The floor had several missing boards and bolts, and was unstable in several areas (one player claimed to have seen one side of the floor come up when he stepped on another). There was no padding on the backboards or basket supports, and one basket appeared to be higher than the other. There was also a large amount of condensation from a hockey game the previous night. After the Colonels refused to play, league commissioner George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
ruled that the Americans had failed to provide acceptable playing conditions and forfeited the game to the Colonels.
For the second year
1968–69 ABA season
The 1968-69 ABA season was the second season for the American Basketball Association. Two teams relocated: Minnesota Muskies became the Miami Floridians. The Pittsburgh Pipers moved to Minnesota and the Minnesota Pipers. Two others relocated within their territory. The Anaheim Amigos became the Los...
, the team opted to stay at the Long Island Arena, and changed its name to the New York Nets. The name "Nets" was used because it rhymes with the names of two other professional sports teams that played in the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
at the time: Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and because it relates to basketball in general, as it is part of the hoop.
The team finished last in its first New York season and drew a paltry 1,108 a game – about half of what it had drawn a year earlier. They posted a hideous 17–61 record, and shuffled 23 different players on and off the roster. Brown sold the team to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe
Roy Boe
Roy Lars Magnus Boe was an owner of the New Jersey Nets, New York Islanders, and several other professional sports teams....
after that season. Boe started off his ownership with a busy 1969 offseason. After failing in its pursuit for UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
star Lew Alcindor
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, who was drafted and then signed by the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, the team acquired Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
from the Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
, and moved to the Island Garden
Island Garden
Island Garden is an indoor arena in West Hempstead, New York, USA. The arena was built in 1998, and has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. It hosts a local youth basketball league...
in West Hempstead
West Hempstead, New York
Not to be confused with West Hampstead, London.West Hempstead is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 18,862 at the 2010 census...
. The Nets finished in third place and in the playoffs
1970 ABA Playoffs
The 1970 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1969-1970 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Stars, four games to two in the ABA Finals.The Indiana Pacers...
in 1969–70, and attendance went up threefold to 3,504. After spending one more year at the Island Garden, the team moved to the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
in Uniondale
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
for the end of the 1971–72 season.
In 1972, two years after the acquisition of Barry, the Nets advanced to the ABA finals
1972 ABA Playoffs
The 1972 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1971-1972 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion New York Nets, four games to two in the ABA Finals.-Notable events:The...
. However, they could not overcome the Indiana Pacers
1971–72 Indiana Pacers season
The 1971-72 Indiana Pacers season was Indiana's 5th season in the ABA. The Pacers finished second in the Western Division and won their second ABA title....
and lost the series four games to two. Barry left after that postseason, sending the Nets into rebuilding mode. The 1972–73 season was one of disappointment, as the Nets only won 30 games.
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
from the Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
. With Erving, who was affectionately known as "Dr. J", the Nets ended the season with a franchise record 55 victories. After Erving was voted the ABA's MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, the Nets advanced in the playoffs and won their first title, defeating the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
in the 1974 ABA Finals.
The success continued into the 1974–75
1974–75 ABA season
1974–75 ABA season was the eighth in the league's history. The Kentucky Colonels won the 1975 ABA Championship after winning the Eastern Division; the Denver Nuggets won the Western Division...
season as they topped the previous season's win record by winning 58 games —a record that still stands to this day. The Nets, though, were eliminated four games to one, by the Spirits of St. Louis
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
in the first round of the 1975 ABA playoffs
1975 ABA Playoffs
The 1975 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1974-1975 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels defeating the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals.The Kentucky...
.
The Nets
1975–76 New York Nets season
The 1975-76 New York Nets season was the 9th and final season in the ABA basketball in New York City. The Nets won their second ABA Championship.-ABA Draft:-Exhibition games:...
continued their winning ways in the 1975–76
1975–76 ABA season
The 1975-76 American Basketball Association season was the 9th and last season for the ABA. The ABA changed from the 30 second shot clock to the 24 second shot clock to match the NBA....
season—the final season for the ABA—with Erving leading them to a successful 55-win season; he also was named MVP again that year. After a grueling series with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, the Nets won the last ABA championship series
1976 ABA Playoffs
The 1976 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1975-1976 season. The tournament concluded with the New York Nets defeating the Denver Nuggets four games to two in the ABA Finals....
in league history in six games, giving the Nets their second championship in three years.
1976 to 1980 – Move to the NBA and back to New Jersey
The summer of 1976 saw the ABA-NBA mergerABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
finally take place. As part of the merger agreement, four teams from the ABA—the Nets, Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, Pacers and San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
—joined the NBA. The Nets and Nuggets had actually applied to join the NBA in 1975, but were forced to play a lame-duck season in the ABA by court order. Prior to their first NBA season, the Nets traded two draft picks to the Kansas City Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for guard Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald
Nathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
. The Nets appeared to be poised to pick up where they left off in the ABA.
However, they got a rude surprise when the NBA forced the Nets to pay an additional $4.8 million directly to the Knicks for "invading" the New York area. Coming on the heels of the $3.2 million that the team had to pay for joining the NBA, this left Boe short of cash, and he was forced to renege on a promised pay raise for Erving. Erving refused to play for the Nets under these conditions and refused to report to camp.
The Nets offered Erving's contract to the Knicks in return for waiving the indemnity, but the Knicks turned it down. When the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
offered to acquire Erving for $3 million—roughly the same amount they had to pay for NBA membership--Boe had little choice but to accept. In essence, the Nets were forced to trade their franchise player for a berth in the NBA.
Without Erving, the Nets wrote off the season as a lost cause. However, they lost all semblance of respectability when Archibald broke his foot in January. The team
1976–77 New York Nets season
The 1976–77 New York Nets season was the 10th season for the franchise, and the first for the team in the NBA. It was also their last before moving to New Jersey.-NBA Draft:-Regular season:...
finished at 22–60, the worst record in the league. The team did set one record of sorts; in February 1977, they became the first NBA team ever to have an all-left-handed starting lineup, with Tim Bassett
Tim Bassett
Eugene Timothy "Tim" Bassett is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of Georgia....
, Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
, Bubbles Hawkins, Dave Wohl
Dave Wohl
David Bruce Wohl is an American former basketball player and coach. A 6'2" guard who grew up in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey and played collegiately at the University of Pennsylvania, Wohl was selected in the 3rd round of the 1971 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers...
, and Kim Hughes.
Prior to the 1977–78 season, Boe moved the franchise back to New Jersey, and renamed the team the New Jersey Nets. While the team awaited the completion of a new arena at the Meadowlands Sports Complex
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
, they played four seasons at the Rutgers Athletic Center (later renamed the Louis Brown Athletic Center
Louis Brown Athletic Center
The Louis Brown Athletic Center, more commonly known as the RAC , is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Rutgers University's Livingston Campus. The building is shaped like a truncated tent with trapezoidal sides on the north and south ends...
) on the Kilmer Campus (now "Livingston" Campus) of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in Piscataway, NJ. In 1978, Boe sold the team to a group of seven local businessmen (led by Joe Taub and Alan N. Cohen
Alan N. Cohen
Alan Norman Cohen was the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets, and chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.Cohen began his career in law and entertainment some years after he graduated from Columbia...
) who became known as the "Secaucus
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
Seven". (The name was a reference to the John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
movie Return of the Secaucus 7
Return of the Secaucus 7
Return of the Secaucus 7 is a drama film written and directed by John Sayles. It features Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, Adam LeFevre, Maggie Cousineau, Gordon Clapp, Jean Passanante, and others....
, which itself was a pun on the 60s radical group the Chicago Seven
Chicago Seven
The Chicago Seven were seven defendants—Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner—charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois on the occasion of the 1968...
.) The first four years in New Jersey were disappointing, as the Nets failed to post a winning season.
A promising start to the decade (1980–85)
The team moved into the Brendan Byrne Arena (known as the Continental Airlines Arena starting in 1996, and renamed the Izod Center in October 2007) in 1981 and experienced modest success with four consecutive winning seasons. In 1982–83, while coached by Larry BrownLarry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, the Nets were having their best season since joining the NBA. However, Brown accepted the head coaching job at the University of Kansas during the last month of the season and was suspended for the rest of the season. The Nets would never recover from the coaching change and would lose in the first round of the playoffs to their Hudson River rival New York Knicks
1982–83 New York Knicks season
The 1982–83 New York Knicks season was the 37th season for the team in the National Basketball Association . In the regular season, the Knicks finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 44–38 win–loss record, and qualified for the NBA Playoffs...
.
In the 1983–84 season, the Nets fielded what was believed to be their best team since joining the league. Led by Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
, Buck Williams
Buck Williams
Charles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
, Otis Birdsong
Otis Birdsong
Otis Lee Birdsong is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons in the NBA and appeared in four NBA All-Star Games....
, and Micheal Ray Richardson
Micheal Ray Richardson
Micheal Ray "Sugar" Richardson is an American former professional basketball player and currently the head coach of the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada. Richardson played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies...
, the team won their first NBA playoff series, defeating the defending champion 76ers in the first round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs
1984 NBA Playoffs
The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...
before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
semifinals in six games.
Injuries plagued the team during the 1984–85 season, but the Nets still managed to win 42 games before being eliminated from the playoffs
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
by the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in three games. New Jersey would not have a winning record until another eight seasons (1992–93).
Injuries and other misfortunes (1986–89)
Newly hired head coach Dave WohlDave Wohl
David Bruce Wohl is an American former basketball player and coach. A 6'2" guard who grew up in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey and played collegiately at the University of Pennsylvania, Wohl was selected in the 3rd round of the 1971 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers...
helped lead the Nets to a respectable record at the beginning of the 1985–86 season, posting a 23–14 start. New Jersey's promising start dissipated with the loss of two of its top scorers. All-Star Micheal Ray Richardson flunked a drug test for the third time and was banned from the league for life, and star center Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
only played 39 games due to a back injury. Long-time Nets veterans Buck Williams and Mike Gminski
Mike Gminski
Michael Thomas Gminski is a retired American college and professional basketball player. Gminski played his high school ball for Masuk High School in Monroe, CT. From there he played four seasons with the Duke Blue Devils, from 1977 to 1980. He led the team in scoring during his junior and senior...
filled in the gap and powered the club on both offense and defense, helping the Nets earn the 7th seed in the 1986 NBA Playoffs
1986 NBA Playoffs
The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
before being swept by the Milwaukee Bucks
1985–86 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 1985–86 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 18th season for the Bucks. Milwaukee posted a 57-25 record but lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.-Draft picks:-Season Standings:-November: -Player stats:-Playoffs:...
in the first round. (The Nets would not qualify for the playoffs until the 1991–92 NBA season).
New Jersey acquired Orlando Woolridge
Orlando Woolridge
Orlando Vernada Woolridge is a former professional basketball player in the NBA.- Early life and education :...
and drafted
1986 NBA Draft
-Drug and health issues involving drafted players:There were various drug-related problems that plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of highly-touted Len Bias. Bias died less than two days after being selected second overall by the defending champion Boston Celtics. His...
Dwayne "Pearl" Washington
Dwayne Washington
Dwayne Alonzo Washington is a retired American college basketball star and professional player from 1986-1989. His nickname was "Pearl"...
in hopes of strengthening the faltering team, yet the season only brought more misfortune to the Garden State. Dawkins slipped in his bathtub and suffered another back injury, effectively ending his career. Birdsong played in only seven games while nursing a shin stress fracture and Washington had a shoddy rookie year performance. A formerly solid backcourt soon became plagued with injuries and contract disputes. The Nets ended the 1986–87 season with a 24–58 record, the club's worst finish since 1980.
Hoping to maximize the team's health in the upcoming season, the Nets traded injury-plagued Dawkins in a three-way deal that brought John Bagley and Keith Lee
Keith Lee
Keith Lee is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft later to be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers...
to New Jersey. The Nets selected Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University...
(over Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
, Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
and Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
) as the third pick of the 1987 NBA draft
1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
in hopes of re-establishing a stable backcourt . However the injury bug bit again when Bagley, Lee and reserve Tony Brown
Tony Brown (basketball)
Anthony William Brown is a retired American professional basketball player and a current NBA assistant coach....
became hurt at the start of the upcoming 1987–88 season. New Jersey axed coach Wohl after 15 games, going through three coaches, in what would be the franchise's worst record since entering the NBA, finishing with a second-to-last place league finish.
Hopson was never able to live up to the organization's expectations and the subsequent first round draft picks of Chris Morris
Chris Morris (basketball)
Christopher Vernard Morris is a retired American professional basketball player. In his 11 season NBA career, the 6' 8" small forward played for the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. He is a graduate of Atlanta's Douglass High School where his jersey has been retired and played for...
(1988
1988 NBA Draft
The 1988 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1988 in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Notable undrafted players:...
) and Mookie Blaylock
Mookie Blaylock
Daron Oshay "Mookie" Blaylock , is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent 13 years in the NBA with three teams.-Professional career:...
(1989
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
) failed to prevent the team from earning the worst record in the NBA and in team history by the turn of the decade.
1990s
Derrick Coleman
Derrick D. Coleman is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University...
with the first pick of the 1990 draft and then took guard Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
with the second pick of the following draft. The Nets later added Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrovic
Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. Although the Nets did not finish with a winning record in the 1991-92 season, they finished sixth overall in the conference and qualified for the playoffs
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
. The Nets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers
1991–92 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 1991–92 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 22nd season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 57-25 record, finishing 2nd in the Central Division, and tying the franchise high set in the 1988-89 season...
in the first round, three games to one, and coach Bill Fitch left after the season.
Chuck Daly era (1992–94)
The team improved significantly in 1992–93, led by the emerging trio of Petrovic, Coleman and Anderson. Chuck DalyChuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
, who had been let go by the Detroit Pistons following the 1991-92 season, was hired by the Nets and immediately paid dividends. However, injuries to both Anderson and Petrovic toward the end of the season sent the team into a 1–10 slump to end the regular season. The Nets finished the season at 43–39, which again earned them the sixth seed and a date with the Cavaliers in the first round
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
. With Anderson out with a broken hand and Petrovic playing on an injured knee, the Nets lost a tough five-game series.
The Nets experienced tragedy in the offseason, as Petrovic was killed in an auto accident in Germany. Still, the team managed to win 45 games during the 1993–94 season. Anderson and Coleman made their only All-Star appearances this season. The Nets again qualified for the playoffs as the East's sixth seed, but were eliminated by the New York Knicks
1993–94 New York Knicks season
The 1993–94 New York Knicks season was the 48th season of NBA basketball in New York City, New York.This marked the last season in which the Knicks were owned by Paramount Communications , which was sold near the end of the season to Viacom, which in turn sold them to ITT Corporation and Cablevision...
the first round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
, three games to one.
Butch Beard era (1994–96)
After the 1993-94 season Daly resigned and Butch BeardButch Beard
Alfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is a former National Basketball Association player and head coach. He was the head coach at Morgan State University until he stepped down in March 2006. Butch Beard played college basketball at the University of Louisville...
was hired to be the team's head coach. The Nets struggled through the rest of the decade. During the mid-1990s the NBA's main image problem was that of the selfish, immature athlete and if one wanted to see a team that embodied that image, all one had to do was look at the Nets. In 1995, Coleman was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
as the poster child of the selfish NBA player, but with Anderson, Benoit Benjamin
Benoit Benjamin
Lenard Benoit Benjamin is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 7'0" center from Creighton University, Benjamin played for nine NBA teams in 15 seasons from 1985-2000...
, Dwayne Schintzius
Dwayne Schintzius
Dwayne Kenneth Schintzius is a former American college and professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft...
and Chris Morris also on the roster, there were plenty of candidates for SI to choose from. The team's image was so poor that in an effort to shed its losing image, management considered renaming the team "Swamp Dragons" or the "Fire Dragons" in 1994, but rejected the idea. In both the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons, the Nets finished with identical 30–52 records. Beard was fired after the second of those two seasons.
Calipari era (1996–99)
In an effort to start anew, Coleman and Anderson were both traded during the 1995–96 season and New Jersey hired UMassUMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
head coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
to coach the team. Kerry Kittles
Kerry Kittles
Kerry Kittles is an American former professional basketball player who last played with the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association in 2004-05. He was raised in New Orleans and attended St...
was selected in the 1996 NBA Draft
1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...
and midway through the 1996–97 season, the team traded for Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
. After a 26–56 win–loss season, the Nets made a major draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
-day trade in June 1997, acquiring Keith Van Horn
Keith Van Horn
Keith Adam Van Horn is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California and attended the University of Utah where he went on to be a consensus First Team All-American in 1997...
, Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
and two other players for Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (basketball)
Timothy Mark "Tim" Thomas is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.-High school / College:...
. The only player from the early 1990s that the Nets retained was Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams is an American former professional basketball player. Standing 6 feet, 10 inches tall, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. In 2010, he pled guilty to assault in the shooting death of a limousine driver...
, who was developing into a rebounding specialist.
1997–98
The 1997–98 season saw several changes for the Nets. The first saw the discarding of the team's previous logo in favor of the current logo the team still has. The second was the team's style of play, which resulted in the Nets staying in playoff contention for most of the season. The team played well under Calipari, winning 43 games and qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the season. Power forward Jayson Williams was selected as a reserve in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game
1998 NBA All-Star Game
The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the North American National Basketball Association All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. This game was the debut of Kobe Bryant as the youngest all-star in NBA history at 19...
. The Nets were seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Chicago Bulls
1997–98 Chicago Bulls season
The 1997–98 Chicago Bulls were an elite team in the NBA's Eastern Conference, as they had been throughout the decade, and defeated the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. The championship was their sixth in eight years and completed the franchise's second "three-peat". This was Michael Jordan's final...
in the 1998 playoffs
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
in three straight games. The Nets played well and came close to taking the first two games.
End of the "Secaucus Seven" (1998–99)
The "Secaucus Seven" sold the team in 1998 to a group of local real estate developers led by Raymond Chambers and Lewis Katz, who called themselves the "Community Youth Organization" and had an intent of moving the team to Newark, New Jersey. The next year the group signed an agreement with New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
to form YankeeNets, a holding company that would own the two teams along and increase leverage in future broadcast contracts by negotiating together. After receiving offers from numerous broadcast partners, including what was then their current rights holder Cablevision, YankeeNets decided to launch a new regional sports television called YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
.
The 1998–99 season was delayed for three months due to an owners' lockout
1998–99 NBA lockout
The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . It lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled...
of the players. When the abbreviated 50-game season began, the Nets were a fashionable choice by experts as a surprise team after their previous run. However, Cassell was injured in the first game and the team started poorly. With the Nets underachieving at 3–15, the Nets traded Cassell to the Bucks, while the Nets acquired Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
from the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. After two more losses, Calipari was fired and replaced by assistant coach Don Casey
Don Casey
Don Casey is a former professional and collegiate basketball coach. He has coached two NBA teams, the Los Angeles Clippers and the New Jersey Nets—each for a season and a half. He had previously coached the Temple Owls from 1973–1982...
. The team never recovered from its poor start to finish at 16–34. With the Nets already eliminated from playoff contention in April, Marbury collided with Williams in a game against the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
; Williams broke his tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
, the second time he had suffered such an injury in two years, and would never play in the NBA again.
The 2000s
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
while he was the Bulls' general manager. Immediately, he began to assemble the components of the franchise's most talented team since the ABA champions of the mid-1970s. He started by hiring former NBA star Byron Scott
Byron Scott (basketball)
Byron Antom Scott is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He was formerly the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets. He attended Arizona State University, but left school in his junior year to...
as coach. With the first pick in the notoriously weak 2000 Draft
2000 NBA Draft
The 2000 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2000 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Until 2011, it was the last draft held at the home arena of an NBA team; the following and subsequent drafts have all taken place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. This draft is...
, the Nets selected Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Lee Martin is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, and has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets...
from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn had become stars in New Jersey. Marbury made the All-NBA 3rd Team in 2000 and his very first All-Star Game
2001 NBA All-Star Game
The 2001 NBA All-Star Game was a basketball matchup between the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars of the NBA. It was held in front of a sellout crowd at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. This was the 50th edition of the annual event....
in 2001. But despite his individual efforts, constant injuries hindered the team's chemistry and the Nets failed to reach to the playoffs in each of Marbury's seasons as a starter. On the night of the 2001 Draft
2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
, they traded the rights to their first round selection (Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin (basketball)
Eddie Jamaal Griffin was an American professional basketball player from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He last played for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, who waived him on March 13, 2007...
) to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
, Jason Collins
Jason Collins
Jason Paul Collins is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Atlanta Hawks. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School, where his backup was actor Jason Segel...
and Brandon Armstrong
Brandon Armstrong
Brandon Simone Armstrong is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.He played college basketball at Pepperdine University, and was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 23rd overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, but was traded, along with fellow Rockets draft picks Richard...
, and selected Brian Scalabrine
Brian Scalabrine
Brian David Scalabrine is an American professional basketball power forward who plays for the Italian club Benetton Treviso. Raised in Enumclaw, Washington, Scalabrine attended the University of Southern California after transferring from Highline Community College...
in the second round. The trade was widely considered a smart move by the Nets as they needed to get younger and clear out much of the dead weight that was on the bench, as the Nets had the lowest scoring and oldest bench in the league the previous season.
2001–02 season
2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
, Thorn made his boldest move. He traded all-star Marbury and role player Johnny Newman
Johnny Newman
John Sylvester Newman, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6' 7" and guard/forward, Newman starred at the University of Richmond, before going on to play in the National Basketball Association...
to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for all-star/All-NBA point guard Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and center Chris Dudley
Chris Dudley
Christen Guilford "Chris" Dudley is a retired American basketball player who played 16 years and 886 games in the NBA for five different teams. A journeyman center, he was known primarily for his defensive skill as a rebounder and shot blocker...
(whom the Nets later released). The move gave the team something it had been lacking for practically its entire NBA existence, a floor leader who also made his teammates better. The Nets also signed former 76ers center Todd MacCulloch
Todd MacCulloch
Todd Carlyle MacCulloch is a retired Canadian professional basketball player. He was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets in the NBA.-Basketball career:...
, who at the time was considered to be a rising center in the league.
That season, the Nets had their best season in their NBA history and in the process became one of the most exciting teams in the league. The team won its first Atlantic Division title, finishing the regular season at 52–30 and were seeded first in Eastern Conference and faced Indiana in the first round of the 2002 NBA Playoffs
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
.
After losing the first game at home, the Nets then went on to win the next two games, before losing game four on the road. In front of a sellout crowd, the Nets played one of the more memorable games in NBA Playoff history in game five. The Nets led by nine points with five minutes remaining in regulation, however Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
made a 35-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. After Miller sent the game into double-overtime with a driving dunk, the Nets pulled away for a 120–109 victory. It is the only game in NBA history to end every quarter—the first quarter, first half, third quarter, second half, and first overtime—tied.
In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the Charlotte Hornets four games to one to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time facing the Boston Celtics. This series is remembered for Kidd having his left eye swollen shut diving for a loose ball in game, he received 32 stitches. After winning game one versus the Celtics, the Nets lost game two at home. In game three, the Nets led by 21 points going into the final period, but a tremendous Celtic comeback gave the Celtics a 94–90 victory and a 2–1 series lead. In game four played on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
afternoon in Boston, the Nets led most of the way but once again the Celtics found a way to tie the game with a minute remaining. However, in this game the Nets made enough plays at the end of the game to win it—Harris made two free throws with 6.6 seconds left and when Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
missed two free throws that would have tied the game with 1 second left, the series was tied at two games each. In game five, the Nets went on a 20–1 run early in the fourth quarter to coast to a 103–92 victory and a 3–2 lead in the series. In game 6, the Nets trailed by 10 at halftime, but rallied in the second half to take the lead. Van Horn's three pointer off a Kittles pass with 50 seconds left in the game clinched the Nets their first Eastern Conference Championship, four games to two.
In the 2002 NBA Finals
2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and two-time defending NBA champions, and the New Jersey Nets, champions of the...
, the Nets were swept by Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
and the Los Angeles Lakers.
2002–03 season
Before the 2002–03 season, the Nets traded Van Horn and MacCulloch to obtain Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
from the 76ers. The move to improve the team did not work out as Mutombo sat out most of the season with a wrist injury, but received little time in the playoffs due to differences with coach Byron Scott. Despite Mutombo's absence, the Nets finished with a 49–33 record and repeated as Atlantic Division champs. Kidd in the process had his best season ever and contributions from Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, and Sixth Man of The Year Runner-Up Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
soften the load. In the 2003 NBA Playoffs
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
, the Nets won their second consecutive Eastern Conference championship. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in the first round of the playoffs four games to two, then swept the Celtics and Detroit Pistons in consecutive series to advance to the 2003 NBA Finals
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
, this time facing the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
champion San Antonio Spurs
2002–03 San Antonio Spurs season
-NBA Draft:-Depth chart:-October:Record: 1–1; Home: 0–0; Road: 1–1-November:Record: 10–6; Home: 6–2; Road: 4–4-December:Record: 8–6; Home: 5–1; Road: 3–5-January:Record: 11–3; Home: 5–1; Road: 6–2-February:Record: 9–1; Home: 3–0; Road: 6–1...
. They split the first four games in the series. At the same time, the Nets' home court hosted the New Jersey Devils
2002–03 New Jersey Devils season
The 2002–03 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 21st season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. After claiming Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles, the Devils won their third Stanley Cup championship in a seven game series against the Mighty...
third Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
celebration in 9 years, following their 3–0 win over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
. However the Nets played erratically in a Game 5 loss at home to go down in the series three games to two. In Game 6, the Nets led the Spurs by 10 points on the road with 10 minutes remaining, but the Spurs went on a 19–0 run to take the title in six games, which denied the state of New Jersey the distinction of having both NBA and NHL titles in the same year.
Following the 2003 Finals, Kidd became a free agent and the Spurs pursued signing him away from the Nets. However, Kidd re-signed with the Nets, stating that he had "unfinished business" in New Jersey. Another factor in Kidd's decision was the signing of free-agent Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
. But Mourning's tenure with the Nets would be disastrous, as he missed most of the 2003–04 season due to a kidney ailment.
2003–04 season
During the 2003–04 season, New Jersey performed poorly early in the season, and in late December head coach Byron Scott was fired. Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank is an American basketball coach for the Detroit Pistons. He formerly served as the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and as an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics.-Biography:...
became the interim head coach on January 26, 2004, succeeding Scott, after serving as an assistant coach with the team since the 2000–01 season.
The Nets rebounded from their early season lull, winning a record 13 games to start Frank's coaching career, and again won the Atlantic Division title, and swept their crosstown rival Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the first round
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
. However, their run of conference championships was halted in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals by the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons
2003–04 Detroit Pistons season
-NBA Draft:-Depth chart:-Regular season:* Statistics include only games with the Pistons-Playoffs:-Series summary:The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage...
. After the teams split the first four games, each won large routs at home, the Nets took Game 5 in Detroit in triple-overtime, only to fall short in Game 6 in New Jersey. The Pistons won Game 7 in a rout and took the series 4 games to 3. Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
, playing on an injured knee that eventually required surgery after the season, was held scoreless in Game 7.
Around the time Frank was hired, on January 21, 2004, a deal was reached with real estates developer Bruce Ratner
Bruce Ratner
Bruce Ratner is an American real estate developer and is a current minority owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets...
to buy the team for $300 million, defeating a similar offer by Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and political fundraiser.- Family :Kushner's parents were Joseph and Rae Kushner, who had come to America from Belarus by way of Italy in 1949...
and Senator Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey. Ratner had purchased the team with the intent of moving it to a new arena in Brooklyn, which was to be a centerpiece of the large-scale Atlantic Yards
Atlantic Yards
The Atlantic Yards is a mixed-use commercial and residential development project of 16 high-rise buildings, under construction in Prospect Heights, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York City...
development. This project would eventually face repeated delays.
2004–05 season
After the season, The Nets were forced to revamp the team. They traded Kerry Kittles and Kenyon Martin to the Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
respectively and released Rodney Rogers
Rodney Rogers
Rodney Ray Rogers is a retired American basketball player who last played power forward for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-Early life:...
and longtime Net Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
, because new owner Bruce Ratner was unwilling to pay the remainder of their contracts. They received only draft picks in return for two key players in the team's recent success. Unbeknownst to New Jersey however, was the fact that Kittles went under the knife for the fifth time to correct his knee, and Martin would need microfracture surgery in both knees. The 2004–05 season looked gloomy at first for the Nets. Their star Kidd was recovering from his own microfracture surgery and the young Richard Jefferson was handed the reins for New Jersey. The team got off to a 2–11 start, and even with Jason Kidd returning from injury, the outlook was bleak. However, the Nets made a major deal by obtaining disgruntled star Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
from the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in exchange for Mourning, who was released by the Raptors (and subsequently rejoined the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
), Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and draft picks. Mourning himself had become disgruntled, saying the Nets "betrayed" him and that New Jersey's progress to that point was not what he "signed up for". This move made the Nets major players again, as they featured one of the top 1-2-3's in the league with Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson respectively. However, it was short lived, as Jefferson was injured in a game against the Detroit Pistons
2004–05 Detroit Pistons season
-NBA Draft:-Depth chart:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; STL= Steals; REB = Rebounds; ASST = Assists; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points-External links:* * -References:...
, and would require season ending surgery.
However, this would not doom the Nets entirely. Teamed with Kidd, a rejuvenated Vince Carter rallied the team from being more than 10 games out of the playoffs to gain the final seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
with a win in the last game of the season. However, the Nets could not overcome Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
again even with Jefferson back from his injury and were swept by the Heat
2004–05 Miami Heat season
The 2004-05 Miami Heat season is the 17th season of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 24 - The 2004 NBA Draft took place in New York City.*July 8 - The free agency period started....
in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
.
During the offseason of 2005, the Nets actively pursued a starting-quality power forward through free agency. They had drafted Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
, a 6' 7" swingman because all the talented power forwards were taken in the draft, and still needed to fill the void left by Kenyon Martin.
Eventually settling on Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Shareef Abdur-Rahim is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant general manager for the Sacramento Kings. He last played for the Kings of the National Basketball Association . On the basketball court, he played both forward or center positions. Abdur-Rahim was a...
, they actively courted him and gained his approval even though they could only offer him the mid-level exception. In order to get him a larger, more lucrative contract, the Nets pursued a sign-and-trade with Portland. There, negotiations hit a snag because Portland demanded a first-round draft pick, which the Nets adamantly refused to part with. Eventually, the Nets agreed to give Portland a protected first-round pick and their trade exception acquired from the Kerry Kittles trade. This allowed the Nets to keep their mid-level exception for signing other players. However, Thorn decided to void the Abdur-Rahim trade when he failed his physical examination because of a pre-existing knee injury. Abdur-Rahim would vehemently deny any injury and said he felt like "damaged goods". He would need surgery at the end of the '07 season. To fill Abdur-Rahim's slot on the roster, the Nets acquired Marc Jackson
Marc Jackson
Marc Anthony Jackson is a former American professional basketball player.-Professional career:...
from the Sixers.
They used part of the remaining mid-level exception to re-sign Clifford Robinson
Clifford R. Robinson
Clifford "Cliff" Ralph Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association.-Highlights:...
for two years in response to Brian Scalabrine
Brian Scalabrine
Brian David Scalabrine is an American professional basketball power forward who plays for the Italian club Benetton Treviso. Raised in Enumclaw, Washington, Scalabrine attended the University of Southern California after transferring from Highline Community College...
's departure. A back-up to Kidd was also sought and they actively courted free agents such as Keyon Dooling
Keyon Dooling
Keyon Latwae Dooling is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.-Basketball career:...
before eventually signing Jeff McInnis
Jeff McInnis
Jeff Lemans McInnis is a basketball player. He has played in the NBA, in Greece and in the CBA .-Career:...
. McInnis was a non-factor in the Nets' season due to injury and eventually was traded.
2005–06 season
The Nets started the 2005–06 season slowly, struggling to a 9–12 record in their first 21 games. However, behind strong play by Carter, Kidd, and Jefferson the team won their next 10 games (their final 8 games in December and first two games in January) to surge to top of the division. After the winning streak, the Nets returned to their earlier mediocre play (winning only 13 of their next 29 games), but starting on March 12 the Nets won their next 14 games in a row—the longest winning streak in the NBA that season and matching the franchise record set in 2004. The streak ended on April 8, 2006 when the Nets loss to the Cavaliers
2005–06 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 36th season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 50–32 record, a second place finish in the Central Division, and reached the semifinals of the Eastern Conference...
108–102 at home. However, they also set a team record with 20 road victories that season.
The Nets finished the 2005–06 regular season with a 49–33 record. They clinched their 4th Atlantic Division championship in the last five seasons and the 3rd seed the Eastern Conference playoffs, playing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
. It seemed they had returned to their elite status of a few years back. They defeated the Pacers and advanced to the second round where they played the Heat, in a rematch of 2005's first round Eastern Conference loss. On May 16, 2006, the Nets lost the best-of-seven series 4–1 to the Heat. Nets fans were left to wonder what might have been as Cliff Robinson, one of the team's key defenders against Shaq, was suspended following Game 1 of that series for failing a drug test.
Highlights of the season include the naming of Vince Carter to the All-Star Team
2006 NBA All-Star Game
The 2006 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 19, 2006 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Rockets. The game was the 55th annual All-Star game...
in 2006. Originally named as a reserve, an injury to Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
elevated Carter to a starting position. Kidd, meanwhile, was named to the NBA All-Defensive team at the end of the season.
2006–07 season
The 2006–07 NBA season fared poorly for the Nets but finished on a bright note, as they suffered a barrage of injuries starting in the preseason to mid-December. Many experts predicted they would win the Atlantic easily (Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
went as far as to say the Nets would win the Eastern Conference), but the season did not turn out as hoped. The Nets finished the regular season at .500 (41–41) and lost the Atlantic Division title to the surprising Toronto Raptors
2006–07 Toronto Raptors season
The Toronto Raptors 2006–07 season is the twelfth National Basketball Association season for the Toronto Raptors basketball franchise. Following a poor 2005–06 season, General Manager Bryan Colangelo greatly revamped the team roster during the pre-season but continued to build the team around...
. The early-season loss of Nenad Krstić
Nenad Krstic
Nenad Krstić is a Serbian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow. Krstić is officially listed at 7'0" tall.-KK Partizan:...
to a freak knee
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury and the two-month absence of Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
caused by an ankle injury caused the Nets to stumble mid-season. However, Jefferson went back into action on March 9 against Houston and helped the Nets regain a winning momentum, allowing them to win 10 of their last 13 games. Among the highlights of the regular season were the naming of Kidd and Carter to the '07 East All-Star team and Kidd's selection to the 2007 All-Defensive 2nd Team. New Jersey finished with the 6th seed in the East and faced the 3rd seeded Toronto Raptors, feeding their newly developed rivalry. The Nets beat the Raptors in six games thanks in part to the fourth quarter heroics of Richard Jefferson on both ends of the floor lifting them to a one-point victory. Many sportswriters picked the Nets to beat Cleveland and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but their playoff run ended in the following round as they fell to the LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
-led Cleveland Cavaliers
2006–07 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 37th season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 50–32 record, a second place finish in the Central Division, and the champions of the Eastern Conference...
4–2 in the best-of-seven series. During their runs for the NBA title, New Jersey had been eliminated by three of the last four Eastern Conference champs, two of whom went on to win the title. In the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, the Nets used the 17th pick to pick "troubled" Boston College
Boston College Eagles men's basketball
The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played...
player Sean Williams.
2007–08 season
For the 2007–08 season, fans were excited for the upcoming season. With Krstić returning from injury and the additions of All-Star center Jamaal Magloire
Jamaal Magloire
Jamaal Dane Magloire is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The , center was selected out of the University of Kentucky by the Charlotte Hornets with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, after withdrawing...
& 1st round pick Sean Williams (who was regarded as the best shot blocker in his draft class), the Nets were anticipated to remain a contender in the East. But it resulted in what many Nets fans considered the most disappointing season of the decade. Early injuries to Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
and Nenad Krstić
Nenad Krstic
Nenad Krstić is a Serbian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow. Krstić is officially listed at 7'0" tall.-KK Partizan:...
disrupted the Nets season from the get-go. With little bright notes, the season was a complete mess: a 9-game losing streak for the Nets, the Jason Kidd "headache", trading their franchise player, and not making it to the post season for the first time in 7 years. On February 19, 2008, Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
, Malik Allen
Malik Allen
Malik Omar Allen is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic.After four years at Villanova University Allen went undrafted in the 2000 NBA Draft. He began his career in the ABA with the San Diego Wildfire and in the International Basketball League with...
, and Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
were traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
for future Nets All-Star Devin Harris
Devin Harris
Devin Lamar Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
, Keith Van Horn
Keith Van Horn
Keith Adam Van Horn is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California and attended the University of Utah where he went on to be a consensus First Team All-American in 1997...
, Maurice Ager
Maurice Ager
Maurice Darnell Ager is an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans from 2002 until 2006...
, DeSagana Diop
DeSagana Diop
DeSagana N'gagne Diop is a Senegalese professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. Standing seven feet tall and weighing 280 lbs...
, Trenton Hassell
Trenton Hassell
Trenton Lavar Hassell is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the NBA. He earned a reputation for being one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders...
, $3 million, and 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks. However, despite young players like Josh Boone
Josh Boone
Oscar Joshua "Josh" Boone is an American professional basketball player. He was a forward–center for the Connecticut Huskies, where he played for three years. He declared for the 2006 NBA Draft after his junior season, forgoing his final year of college...
and Sean Williams becoming major contributors and Marcus Williams showing progress, there were few bright notes. Other noteworthy feats included Richard Jefferson's rank as number nine in scoring for the season, Vince Carter's emergence as the leader of the Nets, and Carter's average of at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game, a season accomplishment unique to him, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. After failing to make it to the playoffs, team president Rod Thorn promised changes would be made, while Coach Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank is an American basketball coach for the Detroit Pistons. He formerly served as the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and as an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics.-Biography:...
vowed that "a season like this will never happen again" under his tenure.
2008–09 season: Departures of Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter
The following offseason proved to be very busy for the Nets. On June 26, 2008, Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
for Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He has also played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Washington Wizards. Yi played power forward for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and...
and Bobby Simmons
Bobby Simmons
Bobby Simmons is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Simmons played three years of college basketball for DePaul University...
. Jefferson's departure, along with that of Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
earlier that year, marked the beginning of a new era in the Garden State. The Nets signed draftees Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is a 7'0" American basketball center who plays for the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. He is the twin brother of fellow basketball player Robin Lopez...
and Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson (basketball)
Ryan James Anderson is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic. Anderson previously played the power forward position at California....
, along with Chris Douglas-Roberts
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Chris Douglas-Roberts, also known as CDR is an American basketball player who plays for Virtus Bologna. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers.-High school:...
. The Nets filled out their youthful roster by signing veterans Eduardo Najera
Eduardo Nájera
Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez is a Mexican professional basketball player in the NBA, currently playing for the Charlotte Bobcats.-Personal information:...
and Jarvis Hayes
Jarvis Hayes
Jarvis James Hayes is an American professional basketball player. A 6'8", 220 lbs. small forward from the University of Georgia and Western Carolina University, Hayes was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 10th overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. Throughout his NBA career, Hayes has...
, and trading for Orlando point guard Keyon Dooling
Keyon Dooling
Keyon Latwae Dooling is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.-Basketball career:...
. The Nets finished the season with their second straight 34–48 record, tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks
2008–09 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 2008–09 Milwaukee Bucks season is the 41st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
. Devin Harris made his 1st All-Star team and narrowly missed winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, and Brook Lopez finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting.
On June 26, 2009, the Nets traded Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
and Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson (basketball)
Ryan James Anderson is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic. Anderson previously played the power forward position at California....
to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston
Rafer Jamel Alston is an American former professional basketball player who last played with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played for six NBA teams...
, Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee is an American basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd pick overall in the 2008 NBA Draft...
and Tony Battie
Tony Battie
Demetrius Antonio Battie is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college career:...
.
2009–10 season: Season at the bottom, but a new beginning
Mikhail Prokhorov
Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the American basketball team, the New Jersey Nets. After graduating from the Moscow Finance Institute he made his name in the financial sector and went on to become one of Russia's leading industrialists in the...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's 2nd richest man according to Forbes, confirmed his intention to become majority owner of the Nets. Prokhorov sent an offer to the team owners requesting that the control shareholding of the basketball club be sold to his company, Onexim, for a symbolic price. In return, Prokhorov would fund a loan for the construction of a $700 million arena in Brooklyn and attract additional funds from Western banks. Prokhorov stated that he initiated the deal to push Russian basketball to a new level of development.
After a 16th straight loss (against the Sacramento Kings
2009–10 Sacramento Kings season
The 2009-10 Sacramento Kings season was the 65th season of the franchise, and its 62nd season in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 25 - The 2009 NBA Draft took place in New York City....
) to start the 2009–2010 NBA season
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
, the Nets fired head coach Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank
Lawrence Frank is an American basketball coach for the Detroit Pistons. He formerly served as the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and as an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics.-Biography:...
. Assistant coach Tom Barrise
Tom Barrise
Tom Barrise is an American basketball coach who became the interim head coach of the New Jersey Nets for 2 games. Barrise replaced Lawrence Frank after the Nets began the 2009-10 season with 16 consecutive losses. There were talks of Barrise finishing out the season as Interim Head Coach, but the...
stepped in as a temporary replacement. He lost his first two games heading the team, an away game against the Los Angeles Lakers
2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season is the 64th season of the franchise, 62nd in the National Basketball Association and 50th in Los Angeles. Coming off a championship in 2009, the Lakers successfully defended their title...
and then to the Dallas Mavericks
2009–10 Dallas Mavericks season
The 2009-10 Dallas Mavericks season was the 30th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 25 - The 2009 NBA Draft took place in New York City.*July 8 - The free agency period started.-Draft picks:...
at home, to set the mark for worst start to a season in NBA history at 0–18 (one more than the previous record holder, the 1988-89 Miami Heat
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
). Kiki Vandeweghe replaced him as head coach on December 4, with Del Harris
Del Harris
Delmer William Harris is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He was an assistant coach for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks...
hired as his new assistant. The duo won their first game at home against the Charlotte Bobcats
2009–10 Charlotte Bobcats season
The 2009–10 Charlotte Bobcats season was the 6th season of the Charlotte Bobcats in the National Basketball Association . Michael Jordan became the Bobcats new owner in March.-Key dates:*June 25 - The 2009 NBA Draft took place in New York City....
, 97–91, to break the Nets arduous 19-game losing streak stretching from the final game of the 2008–09 season, and to keep the record for worst start to a season at 18 straight.
On March 29, 2010, the Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
for the first time since the 2003 NBA Finals
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
. The win was their 10th of the season, keeping them out of the record books for the worst season of all time, a distinction held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers season. Still, the Nets finished with a 12-70 record, only the fifth team to lose 70 games in a season, shared by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73), 1986-87 Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
(12-70), 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
(11-71) and 1997-98 Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
(11-71).
2010–11 season: It's all new: Newark, Billy King and Avery Johnson
On February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. The Nets would begin playing in Newark in the 2010-11 season and remain there until the Barclays Center opens in Brooklyn.
There was significant optimism going into the off-season, especially as the Nets begin promoting their "It's All New" campaign while looking forward to a new home, new owner, new coach, and new players. They also held the best chance of landing the top pick on the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
, with which John Wall
John Wall
Saint John Wall, O.F.M., was an English Catholic Franciscan friar, who is honored as a martyr.He was born in Preston, Lancashire. When of age, he entered the English College, Douai in 1641, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1645...
was eventually drafted. However, luck would once again not be on the Nets' side, as on May 18, 2010, the Nets received the 3rd overall pick in the draft; they selected Derrick Favors
Derrick Favors
Derrick Bernard Favors is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He is a power forward who played for Georgia Tech. On June 24, 2010, he was drafted 3rd overall by the New Jersey Nets of the NBA....
out of Georgia Tech, a power forward.
On June 10, 2010, Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
was named the new head coach of the Nets. Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
was named assistant coach shortly thereafter. With owners Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z, general manager Rod Thorn, and Johnson, who at the point had the best winning percentage of any coach in NBA history, on board, the Nets head into the free agency period with plenty of cap space and the intent to pursue the top free agents that year. They actively courted Lebron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
to sign with the team and had the cap space to sign at least one of them; however, all three eventually signed with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
. The Nets' biggest off-season acquisition turned out to be Travis Outlaw
Travis Outlaw
Travis Marquez Outlaw is an American professional basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the NBA.-NBA career:...
, who would later have a poor first year for the team.
Adding to the chaotic and ultimately disappointing off-season was the announcement that Rod Thorn, the team's long-time president who was responsible for building the successful Nets teams of the early 2000's, would resign on June 25, 2010. On July 14, 2010, Billy King
Billy King
Billy King is the general manager of the New Jersey Nets, and former general manager and team president of the Philadelphia 76ers. King grew up in Sterling, Virginia where he played basketball at Park View High School, and received a scholarship to play at Duke University. He was known primarily...
was named the new general manager of the Nets to replace Thorn.
The Nets started their first season in Newark poorly. Part of the reason was the distractions created by trade rumors regarding Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
, whom many presumed wanted to leave the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. With the entire team except Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is a 7'0" American basketball center who plays for the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. He is the twin brother of fellow basketball player Robin Lopez...
, Sasha Vujacic
Sasha Vujacic
Aleksandar "Sasha" Vujačić is a Slovenian basketball player who has played in Italy, the United States , and more recently for Anadolu Efes S.K. in Turkey...
and Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
rumored to be part of a proposed trade for Anthony at some point, the team struggled to a 17-40 record at the All-Star Break, when Anthony was finally traded to the cross-river rival Knicks. However, a week later, on February 23, 2011, the Nets made a surprising trade deadline deal to acquire two time All-Star point guard Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
. The trade involved sending Devin Harris
Devin Harris
Devin Lamar Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
and rookie Derrick Favors
Derrick Favors
Derrick Bernard Favors is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He is a power forward who played for Georgia Tech. On June 24, 2010, he was drafted 3rd overall by the New Jersey Nets of the NBA....
to the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
including draft picks from the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and cash considerations. The team went on to lose the first three games with Williams in the lineup, and then win five straight. However, with Williams hampered with a wrist injury that forced him to sit for most of the last games of the season, the Nets ended up only winning two more games, and finished with a 24–58 record.
Relocation to Brooklyn
In 2004, after failing to secure a deal for a new arena in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
(eventually a new arena, the Prudential Center, was built in Newark), YankeeNets
Yankee Global Enterprises LLC
Yankee Global Enterprises LLC was formed in 1999, and is the owner of the New York Yankees baseball club and the YES Network cable channel. It was originally created through a merger between the Yankees and the New Jersey Nets basketball team, known at the time as YankeeNets...
sold the franchise to a group headed by real estate developer Bruce Ratner
Bruce Ratner
Bruce Ratner is an American real estate developer and is a current minority owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets...
for $300 million, beating out a group led by Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and political fundraiser.- Family :Kushner's parents were Joseph and Rae Kushner, who had come to America from Belarus by way of Italy in 1949...
and Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
. While Kushner and Corzine wanted to keep the Nets in New Jersey, Ratner planned to move the team back to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 2005 the Nets announced plans to locate the team in the Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Prospect Heights is a neighborhood in the northwest of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The traditional boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway to the south, and Washington Avenue to the east...
neighborhood of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. One of the members of the ownership group is rap mogul and Brooklyn native Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
.
The Barclays Center is the center of an extensive redevelopment project called the Atlantic Yards
Atlantic Yards
The Atlantic Yards is a mixed-use commercial and residential development project of 16 high-rise buildings, under construction in Prospect Heights, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York City...
being built by Ratner's real estate development company. The site of the arena is nearby to the site that Walter O'Malley
Walter O'Malley
Walter Francis O'Malley was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in...
wanted to use for a new stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the early 1950s. The plan was rejected and resulted in the team's relocation to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1958. The Nets would be the first major professional sports team to play home games in Brooklyn since the departure of the Dodgers.
On September 23, 2009, Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov
Mikhail Prokhorov
Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the American basketball team, the New Jersey Nets. After graduating from the Moscow Finance Institute he made his name in the financial sector and went on to become one of Russia's leading industrialists in the...
agreed to a $200 million deal to become a principal owner of the Nets and a key investor in the team's proposed home in Brooklyn.
In October 2009, the Nets played two preseason games at the Prudential Center. The two preseason games were successful, and a deal that would have the Nets play at the Prudential Center for the 2010–11 and 2011-12 NBA seasons became more likely. After nearly falling apart when the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority refused to release the Nets from their lease at Izod, negotiations resumed, and on February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, until Barclays Center opens.
After the dismissal of major pending lawsuits, groundbreaking for Barclays Center was on March 11, 2010.
On September 26, 2011, the team officially announced that the team's new name would be the Brooklyn Nets, after the completion of the 2011-12 NBA season. The rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, who is a part owner of the team, hosted the press conference where the announcement was made.
Radio and television
The television home of the Nets is currently the YES NetworkYES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
, which the Nets joined after the merger of the operations of the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Nets (under the corporation banner YankeeNets). After the dissolution of YankeeNets and Bruce Ratner's purchase of the team, YES signed a long term deal to keep broadcasting Nets games. The sale to the Ratner group did not include the percentage of YES that was previously owned by the Nets, which remains with the pre-merger Nets owners. Prior to that the Nets' TV home was Fox Sports Net New York
MSG Plus
MSG Plus is a regional sports network in the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York, Northern New Jersey, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.Like its sister network, MSG, it is...
and SportsChannel New York
MSG Plus
MSG Plus is a regional sports network in the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York, Northern New Jersey, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.Like its sister network, MSG, it is...
.
The team's local broadcast partner is WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, and games have aired on WLNY
WLNY
WLNY-TV, channel 55, is an independent television station licensed to Riverhead, New York, with studios in Melville, New York and transmitter in Middle Island, New York. WLNY's primary over-the-air signal serves most of Long Island, comprising Nassau and Suffolk counties...
in the past as well.
The current flagship radio station of the Nets is WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
, who took over the radio rights to the Nets after losing their basketball contract with the Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(who moved to WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
). Prior to that, Nets games aired on WNEW-AM
WBBR
WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,...
, WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
, WVNJ-AM
WVNJ
WVNJ is radio station licensed to Oakland, New Jersey, serving Bergen County, New Jersey and parts of the New York City metropolitan area. The station employs a brokered programming format and is owned by Universal Broadcasting headed by Miriam Warshaw...
, WNBC-AM, WQEW
WQEW
WQEW is a Radio Disney affiliate licensed to New York City. Its transmitter is located in Maspeth, Queens. WQEW has a transmitter power of 50,000 watts and is listed as a Clear-channel station...
, and WOR.
In the club's early ABA years, some Sunday road games were televised in a package carried by WPIX-TV. The team's later ABA tenure featured more frequent road telecasts on current broadcast partner, WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
. Known then as WOR-TV it continued airing road games for a time once the team joined the NBA in 1976.
Television
Marv AlbertMarv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
and Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
share television duties for the Nets. Eagle became the lead television voice for the team in 1995 after serving as the team's radio voice for one year, while Albert joined the Nets following his firing by MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
in 2005 after four decades as the lead voice of the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. When Albert joined the broadcast team, he became the lead broadcaster with Eagle his substitute; beginning in the 2009-10 season, due to Albert's advancing age and his other commitments Eagle once again assumed the lead play by play spot. Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
is the analyst, with Jim Spanarkel
Jim Spanarkel
James Gerard Spanarkel is an American television analyst for the National Basketball Association. Spanarkel, who himself was a professional basketball player, was selected 16th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1980...
substituting for him when Fratello is away calling other action.
Radio
WFANWFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
is the Nets' current radio flagship, the station having assumed radio rights from WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
following the 2002-03 season. Chris Carrino
Chris Carrino
Chris Carrino is an American sports play-by-play announcer. He currently serves at the lead radio play by play announcer for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association, a position he has held for nearly a decade, and as one of Compass Media Networks' NFL play-by-play...
and Tim Capstraw
Tim Capstraw
Tim Capstraw is a Color commentator for the New Jersey Nets and NBA TV. Prior to becoming a sportscaster, Capstraw was the Head Basketball Coach at Wagner College from 1989-1999.- Biography :...
comprise the broadcast team, Carrino on play-by-play and Capstraw as the analyst.
Other broadcasters who have worked for the Nets include Howard David
Howard David
-Biography:Over the years, David has been the radio play-by-play man for several pro sports teams including the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Boston Celtics, and the NFL's New York Jets and Miami Dolphins...
, Bob Papa
Bob Papa
Bob Papa is an American sportscaster. Papa is employed by NFL Network, HBO, and the New York Giants.-Biography:Papa grew up in Dumont, New Jersey and graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in nearby Oradell...
, Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery is an American basketball analyst and play-by-play announcer and former college basketball coach.-High School:...
, Kelly Tripucka
Kelly Tripucka
Peter Kelly Tripucka is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1981 to 1991. During his ten seasons in the league, he played for the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, and Charlotte Hornets...
, Albert King
Albert King (basketball)
Albert King is a retired American professional basketball player. King played at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and is regarded as one of the nation's greatest high school players of all time. He was rated the top prep player in the nation over Magic Johnson and Gene Banks during his senior...
, Mike O'Koren
Mike O'Koren
Mike O'Koren is a retired American professional basketball player, a former associate head coach of the Washington Wizards from 2005 to 2008, and a former assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets from 1999 to 2003. He was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the 1st round of the 1980 NBA Draft...
, Spencer Ross
Spencer Ross
Spencer Ross is an American sportscaster. With the exception of the New York Mets, Ross has called play-by-play for every professional New York metropolitan area sports franchise, including the Yankees of MLB, the Nets and Knicks of the NBA, and Jets and Giants of the NFL...
, Mel Proctor
Mel Proctor
Mel Proctor is an American television sportscaster, actor, and book author.-Biography:A Denver, Colorado native, Proctor has called play-by-play for such teams as the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Clippers at various points in his career...
, Joe Tait
Joe Tait
Joseph "Joe" Tait is an American sports broadcaster, who called the radio play by play for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. With the exception of two seasons in the early 1980s and illness in 2010-11, he has been the Cavaliers' radio announcer since the team's inception in 1970...
, John Sterling
John Sterling (sportscaster)
John Sterling is an American sportscaster best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. He has announced every Yankees game since .-Early life:...
, Mike DiTomasso, WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
update man John Minko
John Minko
John Minko, also known as the Mink Man, is an American sports radio and television personality. He is a "20/20 sports anchor" on radio station WFAN in New York and has worked there since its inception in 1987...
and Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson (basketball)
Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...
.
During the club's ABA years, announcers included Marty Glickman
Marty Glickman
Martin "Marty" Glickman was a Jewish American track and field athlete and sports announcer, born in The Bronx, New York. His parents, Harry and Molly Glickmann, immigrated to the United States from Jassy, Romania....
, Marv's brother, Steve Albert
Steve Albert
Steve Albert is a sportscaster. He has served as a play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, and Cleveland Cavaliers...
, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, Bob Goldsholl, as well as Sterling and DiTomasso. The latter two joined the club's move into the NBA.
Entertainment
Marco Glorious Khare, known as Marco G, served as master of ceremonies and arena announcer at Nets games from the 2007–08 season through the 2010-2011. His voice was heard during every home Nets game introducing the starting line-up and performing promotional spots throughout.Home arenas
- Teaneck ArmoryTeaneck ArmoryTeaneck Armory at 1799 Teaneack Road is an armory and arena located on a site in Teaneck, New Jersey. A facility of the New Jersey National Guard, it is home to the Soccer Coliseum.-History:...
(1967–1968) - Long Island ArenaLong Island ArenaLong Island Arena was a 4,000-seat indoor arena in Commack, New York from 1959 until 1996. The Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Hockey League, a popular team in the small community, called the Arena home from 1959 until the league folded in 1973, one year after the New York Islanders came into...
(1968–1969) - Island GardenIsland GardenIsland Garden is an indoor arena in West Hempstead, New York, USA. The arena was built in 1998, and has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. It hosts a local youth basketball league...
(1969–1972) - Nassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumNassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumThe Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
(1972–1977) - Rutgers Athletic CenterLouis Brown Athletic CenterThe Louis Brown Athletic Center, more commonly known as the RAC , is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Rutgers University's Livingston Campus. The building is shaped like a truncated tent with trapezoidal sides on the north and south ends...
(1977–1981) - Izod Center (1981–2010)
- Prudential Center (2010–2012)
- Barclays Center (starting 2012, under construction)
Basketball Hall of Fame players
- Nate ArchibaldNate ArchibaldNathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
– played one season with Nets, 1976–77, the last season on Long Island - Rick BarryRick BarryRichard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
– played for the Nets only while the team was a member of the ABA - Julius ErvingJulius ErvingJulius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
– played for the Nets only while the team was a member of the ABA - Dražen PetrovićDražen PetrovicDražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
– played 3 seasons for the Nets, died in a car accident after Nets were eliminated from 1993 NBA Playoffs
Retired numbers
- 3 – Dražen PetrovićDražen PetrovicDražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
, G, 1990–93 - 4 – Wendell LadnerWendell LadnerWendell Ladner was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at The University of Southern Mississippi where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity....
, F, 1974–75 (Not in the rafters) - 23 – John WilliamsonJohn Williamson (basketball)John Lee Williamson was an American basketball player.Williamson played high school basketball at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut and played college basketball at New Mexico State University. He was a 6'2" guard...
, G, 1973–80 - 25 – Bill MelchionniBill MelchionniWilliam P. "Bill" Melchionni is a former NBA and ABA player.Melchionni was a wispy guard from Bishop Eustace Prep who was a collegiate star in the mid-1960s at Villanova University and was the Most Valuable Player in the 1966 NIT...
, G, 1969–76 - 32 – Julius ErvingJulius ErvingJulius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, F, 1973–76 - 52 – Buck WilliamsBuck WilliamsCharles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
, F, 1981–89
List of National Basketball Association Retired Numbers
Individual awards
NBA Rookie of the YearNBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
- Buck WilliamsBuck WilliamsCharles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
– 1982 - Derrick ColemanDerrick ColemanDerrick D. Coleman is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University...
– 1991
NBA Executive of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
- Rod Thorn – 2002
All-NBA First Team
- Jason KiddJason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
– 2002, 2004
All-NBA Second Team
- Buck WilliamsBuck WilliamsCharles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
– 1983 - Jason KiddJason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
– 2003
All-NBA Third Team
- Dražen PetrovićDražen PetrovicDražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
– 1993 - Derrick ColemanDerrick ColemanDerrick D. Coleman is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University...
– 1993, 1994 - Stephon MarburyStephon MarburyStephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
– 2000
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Jason KiddJason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
– 2002, 2006
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Buck WilliamsBuck WilliamsCharles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
– 1988 - Jason KiddJason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
– 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
NBA Rookie First Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
- Bernard KingBernard KingBernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
– 1978 - Buck WilliamsBuck WilliamsCharles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
– 1982 - Derrick ColemanDerrick ColemanDerrick D. Coleman is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University...
1991 - Keith Van HornKeith Van HornKeith Adam Van Horn is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California and attended the University of Utah where he went on to be a consensus First Team All-American in 1997...
– 1998 - Kenyon MartinKenyon MartinKenyon Lee Martin is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, and has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets...
– 2001 - Brook LopezBrook LopezBrook Lopez is a 7'0" American basketball center who plays for the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. He is the twin brother of fellow basketball player Robin Lopez...
– 2009
NBA Rookie Second Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
- Chris MorrisChris Morris (basketball)Christopher Vernard Morris is a retired American professional basketball player. In his 11 season NBA career, the 6' 8" small forward played for the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. He is a graduate of Atlanta's Douglass High School where his jersey has been retired and played for...
– 1989 - Kerry KittlesKerry KittlesKerry Kittles is an American former professional basketball player who last played with the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association in 2004-05. He was raised in New Orleans and attended St...
– 1997 - Richard JeffersonRichard JeffersonRichard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
– 2002 - Nenad KrsticNenad KrsticNenad Krstić is a Serbian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow. Krstić is officially listed at 7'0" tall.-KK Partizan:...
– 2004 - Marcus Williams – 2007
New York Knicks
Nets fans consider the Knicks their team's biggest rival due to their close proximity, which is the primary reason the Nets had to sell one the franchise's greatest players, Dr. JJulius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, to the Philadelphia 76ers. Upon transferring to the NBA, the Nets were considered "encroachers" on the Knicks territory, and were penalized with a fine which made it impossible for the former ABA champions to retain their star. Although both teams now play in what is considered the New York market, the Knicks always receive more notoriety in the media, no matter how the two teams are faring. Additionally, as New Jerseyans are typically subject to jokes about their state from New Yorkers, Nets fans from NJ hold a particular animosity towards New York's club. Although for most of their respective histories, the Nets and Knicks had traded dominance in the NY area, the rivalry began to heat up in the early 2000s. With the trade of Stephon Marbury to the Suns for franchise savior Jason Kidd, the Nets became the class of the Eastern Conference in 2001. Due to the long-noted discrepancy in media coverage between the New York and New Jersey ball clubs, upon being signed Kidd promised the Nets would no longer play second fiddle to the Knicks. Over the next few years the Nets handily defeated the Knicks in the majority of their games (20–4).
The rivalry was again turned up a notch, when Stephon Marbury, the once vilified point guard in New Jersey who was traded for Kidd, was traded to the Knicks in 2004. Marbury and Kidd had their own rivalry, with Kidd being the consensus best-point-guard-in-the-league and Marbury declaring himself the league's best point guard. The two stars who had once been traded for one another now found each other on opposite sides of an intense rivalry and each guards' team was motivated to prove its supremacy in the metropolitan area. Some members of the Knicks went so far as to say that they wanted to face New Jersey (the reigning two time Eastern Conference champion at the time) in the playoffs. The Nets would sweep the Knicks in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. Though both teams have seen a fluctuation of success in recent years, the rivalry between the two teams and their fans remains fierce.
Since Mikhail Prokhorov purchased the team in 2010, he has taken frequent jabs at the Knicks and their ownership. He has stated that he wishes to "turn Knicks fans into Nets fans" when the team relocates, and that he was happy the Nets caused the Knicks to overpay for Carmelo Anthony (by increasing their own offers in the "Carmelo Sweepstakes"). Both sides have begun marketing in earnest throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, often proclaiming they are the sole "team of the borough" with billboards displaying their newly acquired superstars, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams. When the Knicks responded to some of the Nets' marketing push with a commercial stating "You can walk like us, you can talk like us, but you ain't never gonna be like us" Prokhorov responded, "I think we'd more like to be like the Lakers (winners of 17 NBA championships)".
When the division rivals meet in New Jersey, the arena is often evenly split between Nets and Knicks fans. This is due in part to the fact that the two teams are separated by only the Hudson River, however the primary reason is that the tickets at the Prudential Center are comparatively cheaper than those sold at Madison Square Garden. The atmosphere is often tense amongst "warring" fan bases trying to establish control of the "home court advantage". This would be most comparable to Lakers vs Clippers (both teams play home games at the Staples Center), NCAA basketball tournament games, and the NFL Super Bowl where a neutral arena is chosen.
Boston Celtics
The Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
became rivals of the Nets in the early 2000s due to their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was precluded by trash talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a "fake" tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands. Celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of "Wife Beater!" in response to Kidd's 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, with some brandishing signs that read "Will someone please stab Paul Pierce?" referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Lee Martin is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, and has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets...
stated "Our fans hate them, their fans hate us." Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
said at the time that Nets-Celtics was the "beginning of the next great NBA rivalry" during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with the Nets advancing to the NBA Finals, though New Jersey would go on to sweep Boston in the 2003 playoffs. Although the Celtics are currently one of the top teams in the East and the Nets are rebuilding, the fact that both are in the Atlantic Division and the New York–New England dynamic (seen between the MLB's Yankees and Red Sox, and the NFL's Giants/Jets and Patriots) maintains the Nets-Celtics rivalry.
NBA Development League affiliation
Starting in the 2011-2012 season, the Springfield ArmorSpringfield Armor
The Springfield Armor is a basketball team located in Springfield, Massachusetts, which plays in the NBA Development League. The Armor plays its home games at the MassMutual Center in Springfield's Metro Center neighborhood. The team is owned by HWS Basketball, LLC which is principally owned by...
will become the exclusive NBA Developmental League affiliate of the Nets. This will make the Nets the second team to opt for a D-League "hybrid affiliation," (the first was the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a 2007-08 expansion team in the NBA Development League. They play their home games at the State Farm Arena, in Hidalgo, Texas....
.) Springfield ownership will maintain control over business, marketing, and day-to-day operations; however, the New Jersey Nets will have control over coaching and player decisions. This hybrid model has been well received by GMs and owners.