The club was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBA's rival league, theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). They played inNew Jersey as theNew Jersey Americans during their first season, beforerelocating toLong Island, New York, in 1968 and changing their name to theNew York Nets. During this time, the Nets won twoABA championships (1974 and 1976). In 1976, the ABAmerged with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams (theDenver Nuggets,Indiana Pacers, andSan Antonio Spurs), all of whom remain in the league to this day.
In 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as theNew Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. Led by star point guardJason Kidd, the Nets reached theNBA Finals in two consecutive NBA seasons (2001–02 and2002–03), but failed to win a championship.[11] In the summer of 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center in Brooklyn,[12] becoming the first major sports franchise in the borough since the departure of theBrooklyn Dodgers baseball team in 1957.[13] Since moving to Brooklyn, the Nets have qualified for the playoffs on eight occasions, including trips to the conference semifinals in2014 and2021.
The Brooklyn Nets were founded in1967 and initially played inTeaneck, New Jersey, as the New Jersey Americans. In its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving toLong Island in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets.[14]
Led by Hall of FamerJulius "Dr. J" Erving, the Nets won twoABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of theABA–NBA merger in 1976. Unlike the other three ABA teams entering the NBA, who played in cities without any NBA presence, the Nets were required by the NBA to pay an "encroachment fee" of $4.8million (equivalent to $27million in 2024) to theNew York Knicks.[15] The team financed that payment by selling Erving's contract to thePhiladelphia 76ers;[16] and the Nets went from winning the last ABA title in1975–76 to having the worst record in the NBA in1976–77. The team then moved back toNew Jersey in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets.[17][18] During their time in the state, the Nets played in two consecutiveNBA Finals in the2001–02 and2002–03 seasons, led on the court by point guardJason Kidd.
After playing 35 seasons in New Jersey, the team moved back to the state of New York, changed its geographic name to Brooklyn, and began playing in the newBarclays Center, starting with the2012–13 NBA season.[12][19] The team's move from New Jersey to Brooklyn was approved unanimously by the NBA Board of Governors on April 13, 2012.[20]
During the early 2000s, the Nets were led byJason Kidd andKenyon Martin, while theBoston Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The rivalry began to heat up in the conference finals of the2002 playoffs, which was preceded bytrash talking from the Celtics,[21] 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!"[22] 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?"[23] 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 conference finals. Led by Kidd, the Nets advanced to theNBA Finals, and the following year, swept Boston in the2003 playoffs.
On November 28, 2012, there were indications that the rivalry might be rekindled when an altercation occurred on the court, resulting in the ejection ofRajon Rondo,Gerald Wallace, andKris Humphries. Rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace andKevin Garnett were fined.[24] The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnett's shorts and the two had to be broken up by referees and players alike.
In the 2019 NBA off-season, the Nets signed point guardKyrie Irving. Coming off two seasons with the Celtics, Irving was described as selfish by many critics. This impression caused many Celtics fans to blame him for the Celtics' inability to get through to the playoffs.
During a regular season game in the 2019–20 season between the Celtics and Nets, the Celtics' fans displayed their displeasure with Irving by chanting "Kyrie sucks" inTD Garden.[25] When the series returned to Brooklyn two days later, the Nets' fans chanted "Kyrie's better" in response to the chants in Boston.[26] The "Kyrie's Better" chants reference to how the Celtics signedKemba Walker after Irving left for the Nets.
On May 30, 2021, after Kyrie Irving stomped on the Celtics center-court logo, a fan threw awater bottle at Irving at TD Garden following a Nets victory and a 3–1 lead in the series.[27]
The rivalry with theToronto Raptors began in the 2000s, specifically in 2004, after Raptors guard/forwardVince Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets.[32][33] However, the two teams did not meet in the playoffs until2007, when the Nets defeated the Raptors in the first round series, 4 games to 2, after a go-ahead shot byRichard Jefferson with 8 seconds left in Game 6 led to a 98–97 victory.[34] In2014, the teams met again in the first round, and the series went to seven games, with a game-winning block byPaul Pierce, giving the Nets the 104–103 victory.[35] The series was noted for controversy when Toronto Raptors general managerMasai Ujiri made derogatory remarks towards Brooklyn at a fan rally outsideMaple Leaf Square inToronto before Game 1. Ujiri later apologized at halftime.[36] The Raptors and Nets faced each other in the2020 NBA playoffs in the first round, with Toronto winning the series four games to none.[37]
Upon debuting in the ABA in 1967, the New Jersey Americans wore white and red uniforms. The white uniforms contained red, blue and white stripes, with the team name and numerals in red with blue trim. The red uniforms mirror the striping configurations of the white uniforms while the city name and numerals were in blue with white trim.[38]
Moving to Long Island as the New York Nets, they kept the original Americans template except for the location and team name. The white uniforms featured a script "Nets" lettering with a tail accent below, while the red uniforms featured "New York" in block letters (similar to the New York Knicks). Over the years, the letters and stripes would endure a few adjustments.[38]
The Nets changed uniforms upon moving to Nassau Coliseum. The white uniforms featured a thick blue stripe with white stars on the left, along with a red stripe and white outline. The team name is written in red block letters. The blue uniforms, which featured "New York" in white block letters, mirrored that of the white uniforms.[38]
The Nets carried the "Stars and Stripes" uniform to New Jersey in 1977. The white uniform remained the same but the blue uniform read "Nets" in front. The blue uniform later added "New Jersey" in white block letters inside the red stripe.[38]
Upon moving to the Meadowlands in 1981, the Nets briefly changed their uniform set. The white uniform brought back the "Nets" script from the original New York Nets uniforms, but the color scheme became blue with red trim. The blue uniform featured "New Jersey" stacked together in a similar script style, and the letters were colored in red with white trim.[38]
The Nets underwent a visual rebrand before the 1990–91 season. The white uniform featured a more futuristic "Nets" script in red with white and blue trim, while adding red and blue stripes. Initially, the Nets wore white and light blue gradient road uniforms that had atie-dye effect, but switched to a solid blue uniform after only one season. Both blue uniforms featured the same "Nets" script in red with blue and white trim along with red and white stripes.[38]
The Nets updated their visual identity prior to the 1997–98 season, going with a deeper red and navy scheme with silver accents. The white uniform, which remained virtually unchanged throughout its history, featured the team name in navy with silver and red trim. The navy uniform featured the city name in silver with navy and red trim. The dark grey alternate uniform, used until 2006, initially went with the city name in navy with white and red trim, but reversed the color scheme to white with red and navy trim after only two seasons. This uniform was the only one to feature the "NJ" alternate logo on the neckline. The red alternate uniform, which replaced the grey alternate and became the primary dark uniform in 2009, featured the team name in white with navy and silver trim. All uniforms featured thick navy and silverargyle stripes.[38]
Upon moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the Nets went with a simple black and white uniform design, with "Brooklyn" in front of both the white and black uniforms. They also wore three different alternate uniforms. A grey-sleeved alternate with "Brooklyn" inDodger blue, was first used in 2013 as a visual recall to theBrooklyn Dodgers. A white-sleeved alternate with the team name in black, featured the same "Stars and Stripes" look from the 1970s. A dark grey sleeveless alternate, meant to recall the 1980s New Jersey Nets uniforms, featured the team name in white and the city name in white written inside a black stripe.[38]
With the switch fromAdidas toNike, the Nets kept most aspects of their visual identity intact. The white uniform became the "Association" uniform while the black uniform became the "Icon" uniform. The Nets have had three different versions of the "Statement" uniform. The first set, with "BKLYN" in white, was in dark grey and featured the same stars and stripes look from the 1970s. The uniform was updated in 2019 to a lighter grey base and black/dark grey stripes, with "BKLYN" written ingraffiti style designed by Eric Haze. In 2022, the Nets again changed its "Statement" uniform, this time with a black base, black letters with silver trim, and a subtle greyscale herringbone striping with three black stars on the left.[38]
The Nets also employed a fourth uniform option: the "City" uniform. The 2017–18 black "City" uniform featured the full team name spelled in white along with grey accents inspired from theBrooklyn Bridge. The following season, it was replaced with a black uniform featuring stylized Brooklyn camo patterns as a tribute tothe Notorious B.I.G. For 2019–20, the Nets wore white versions of the "Biggie" uniforms, but with Haze-designed "BED-STUY" graffiti lettering in front (a reference toBedford–Stuyvesant where the Notorious B.I.G. grew up). The 2020–21 "City" uniform, which honors Brooklyn-born artistJean-Michel Basquiat, is predominantly black and features "BKLYN NETS" written in Basquiat's style along with multi-colored striping.[38] The Basquiat-inspired "City" uniform returned in 2022–23 but in a white base.[39]
In the 2021–22 season, the Nets' "City" uniform featured visual references to the Nets' uniform history. The navy base and white and silver argyle stripes recalled the 1997–2009 uniforms. The "Nets" wordmark and lettering were taken from the 1990–97 uniforms. A red stripe with white stars honored the "Stars and Stripes" uniform of the 1970s and 1980s. A modified version of the 1980s New Jersey Nets logo, replacing the New Jersey outline with the map of Brooklyn, was added to the right leg. The 1997–2012 shield logo, also tweaked to feature the current "B" alternate logo, was added on the waist.[40]
The "City" uniform for the 2023–24 season featured a collaboration with Brooklyn-based artistKaws. The predominantly dark grey design featured splashes of light grey, blue, turquoise and pink inspired by Kaws' "Tension" series. The stylized "Nets" wordmark was also influenced by Kaws' graphic style.[41] The design was slightly tweaked for the 2024–25 "City" uniform, this time with the color splashes relegated to the "Brooklyn" wordmark as part of an outer trim, with the base now featuring greyscale splashes.[42]
A fifth uniform option, the "Earned" uniform, is released occasionally and is exclusive only to the teams who qualified in theNBA playoffs the previous year. The Nets, by virtue of qualifying in the2020 NBA playoffs, were given an "Earned" uniform. The design featured theherringbone parquet style of the Barclays Center court in shades of black and grey, withHelvetica lettering inspired from the signs found at theNew York City Subway.[38]
Cover toBrooklyKnight #1, distributed at the Brooklyn Nets home opener. Art byMike Deodato.
Themascot of the New Jersey Nets was Sly the Silver Fox, who debuted on October 31, 1997, as part of the rebranding of the Nets for the1997–98 season.[43] Prior to that, the Nets' mascot was an anthropomorphic dragon named Duncan the Dragon.[44]
After the Nets' move to Brooklyn, the team introduced a newsuperhero mascot named BrooklyKnight (a pun on thedemonym "Brooklynite") on November 3, 2012. In his first appearance, he was lowered from the ceiling ofBarclays Center amid sparks and fanfare and introduced by Nets public address announcerDavid Diamante: "Here to defend Brooklyn, he's the BrooklyKnight." The mascot was co-created byMarvel Entertainment, a sister company to NBA broadcastersABC andESPN. The character also starred in a 32-pagecomic book published by Marvel titledBrooklyKnight #1, written byJason Aaron with art fromMike Deodato.[45][46] After the Nets' second season in Brooklyn, the BrooklyKnight mascot was retired, leaving the Nets mascotless.[47]
On November 3, 2012, the Nets introduced a new team anthem titled "Brooklyn: Something To Lean On", written and recorded by Brooklyn-born musicianJohn Forté.[48] The song is notable for its refrain, which features the "Brooklyn" chant that has been popular with fans in the Barclays Center.[49]
The Brooklyn Brigade[50] is a group of fans who are known for their loud chants and passionate attitude towards the Nets. The group was founded in November 2012 by Nets fan and Brooklyn native Udong "Bobby" Edemeka.[51] Edemeka attended a few early season games of the team in their new Brooklyn home. Edemeka noticed that the team lacked a solid fan base in their new home, and decided to purchase tickets for a small group of roughly 20 fans who he noticed were regular followers of the team on theSB Nation online blog, NetsDaily.[52]
The Brigade was not yet based in Section 114.[53] Instead, Edemeka would purchase tickets in whichever section he could, which often includednosebleed seats. The Brigade initially did not get much recognition from the Nets. Edemeka met with the CEO Irina Pavlova (of the ONEXIM Group), who was fond of the group's antics.[54] Although Pavlova was a supporter of the group, other members of the organization were resistant to showing support for the Brigade. During the 2014–15 season, however, the Brooklyn Nets organization began assigning seats to the Brigade in Section 114 of the Barclays Center. This section is adjacent to the press booth and gave the Brooklyn Brigade exposure on a regional level and then eventually on a national level.
During the conference semifinals in 2014, while the Nets battled theMiami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yomark noticed the Brigade's effect on the arena, and he started to visit Section 114 distributing Nets' apparel. In 2016, the Nets hiredSean Marks as their general manager, who became an immediate supporter of the group.[55] During the 2018–19 season, the Nets reserved section 114 for passionate fans, and called it "The BK Block."[56] Although the Brigade is an independent fan group of the Nets, The Block[57] comprises mostly Brigade members.[58]
Bruce Reznick, known commonly as "Mr. Whammy", is an iconic 86-year-old Netssuperfan. Reznick became a Nets season ticket holder in 1998 when the Nets played inContinental Airlines Arena. He is known for his signature "whammy", a practice in which he stands on the sidelines in view of opposing players while they are attempting free throws and tries to distract them with pointing, jumping, and yelling. Reznick will not "whammy" players that have previously played for the Nets. Reznick believes the practice is effective asBarclays Center often has one of the lowest opposing team free throw percentages in the league. For example, by January 11, 2023, opposing teams had only a 70.3 free throw shot percentage in Brooklyn, which was about eight points lower than league average for the2022–23 NBA season. Before Reznick was given the name "Mr. Whammy" by Nets broadcasterIan Eagle he was referred to as "Red Shirt".[59][60]
On September 18, 2019,Joseph Tsai, the executive vice chairman of theAlibaba Group, completed the acquisition of full ownership of the Brooklyn Nets. With the closing of the transaction, Tsai became NBA Governor of the Nets and its affiliates.[61] Additionally, formerTurner Broadcasting president David Levy was named CEO of the Nets and Barclays Center.[62][63] On November 12, the Nets and Barclays Center announced that David Levy would step down from the CEO position he had assumed less than two months before. Oliver Weisberg, president of Tsai's holding company J Tsai Sports, assumed an interim CEO role.[64][65]
The original owner of the Nets franchise was trucking magnate Arthur J. Brown, who founded the team in 1967. The next year, Brown sold the team for $1.1 million to entrepreneurRoy Boe.[66] Due to financial losses suffered while the team was on Long Island, Boe moved the team back to New Jersey in 1977 and sold the team a year later to a group of seven local businessmen led byAlan N. Cohen and Joseph Taub, who became known as the "Secaucus Seven".[67]
After a lengthy ownership of the franchise and numerous unsuccessful attempts to improve the financial situation of the team, the "Secaucus Seven" finally sold the team in 1998 to a group of local real estate developers led byRaymond Chambers andLewis Katz,[68] who called themselves the "Community Youth Organization" and wanted to move the team toNewark, New Jersey. The next year the group signed an agreement withNew York Yankees ownerGeorge Steinbrenner to formYankeeNets, a holding company that owned the two teams, and later also theNew Jersey Devils, and increase leverage in future broadcast contracts by negotiating together. After receiving offers from several broadcast partners, includingCablevision, which held their rights at that time, YankeeNets decided to launch its own regional sports television called theYES Network.
YankeeNets failed in its attempts to secure a deal with Newark to construct a new arena in the city. By that point in time, tensions between the management of the Yankees, Nets, and the Devils had cause a rift between them, and a decision was made to split the group.[69] With their plan to move the Nets dead, the Community Youth Organization placed the team up for sale. After a short bidding process, the group secured a deal in 2004 with real estate developerBruce Ratner to buy the team for $300 million, defeating a similar offer byCharles Kushner and SenatorJon Corzine of New Jersey. Ratner had purchased the team with the intent of moving it to a new arena inBrooklyn, which was to be a centerpiece of the large-scaleAtlantic Yards development.[70]
RapperJay-Z owned a small minority stake in the Nets from 2003 until 2013. Jay-Z was a leader in the marketing for the team and helped encourage their move from New Jersey to theBarclays Center in Brooklyn, in which he also held a stake. He relinquished his stake after registering as a sports agent with his new agencyRoc Nation Sports, to avert any potential conflicts of interest.[71][72] His shares were eventually sold to singer, rapper, actor and entrepreneurWill Pan, making Pan the first American of Taiwanese descent to own a U.S. professional sports franchise.[73]
On September 24, 2009,Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia's third-richest man according toForbes, confirmed his intention to become majority owner of the Nets. Prokhorov sent an offer to the team owners requesting that the controlling shares of the basketball club be sold to his company, Onexim, for a symbolic price. In return, Prokhorov funded a loan of $700 million for the construction of Barclays Center, and attracted additional funds from Western banks. Prokhorov stated that he initiated the deal to help push Russian basketball to a new level of development.[74] On May 11, 2010, following approval from the other owners of NBA teams, Prokhorov had become the principal owner of the Nets.[75]
In late 2017, Prokhorov agreed to sell a 49% stake in the team to Joseph Tsai, with an option for Tsai to become the majority owner.[76] The option was exercised in August 2019, with Tsai also buying the Nets' arena, Barclays Center, from Prokhorov for nearly $1 billion in a separate deal. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale to Tsai on September 18, 2019.[77]
The Nets' practice facility and headquarters for the team's basketball operations are located at theHospital for Special Surgery Training Center in theIndustry City complex in theSunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The facility opened on February 17, 2016, and is built on the roof of an empty warehouse in the complex, occupying 70,000 square feet of space in total. The renovation project cost roughly $50 million.[79] The opening of the training center completed the Nets' move to Brooklyn.
The team's previous practice facility was at the 65,000-square-footPNY Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which opened in 1998.[80] Prior to that, the team practiced at the APA Recreation Center inNorth Bergen, New Jersey, sharing their lockers and practice courts withtruck drivers who used the facility, and atRamapo College inMahwah, New Jersey.[80]
In the aftermath ofHurricane Sandy in November 2012, PNY Center suffered a power outage and extensive water damage due to flooding, and for several months, the team used the smaller training spaces and practice courts inside the Barclays Center instead.[81]
The Nets hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA team. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[82] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
Bold denotes still active with the team.Italics denotes still active, but not with the team. "Name*" includes combined statistics for the team from both the ABA and NBA.
Points scored (regular season) as of the end of the 2023–24 season[87]
The Nets signed an agreement with theSpringfield Armor to become its exclusiveNBA Development League affiliate starting in the 2011–12 season. This made the Nets the second team to opt for a D-League "hybrid affiliation", the first being theHouston Rockets with theRio Grande Valley Vipers. Springfield ownership maintained control over business, marketing, and day-to-day operations, with the Nets having control over coaching and player decisions. This hybrid model was well received by GMs and owners.[111] However, after three seasons, theDetroit Pistons purchased the Armor from its former owners, and moved and renamed the team theGrand Rapids Drive.[112]
On November 6, 2015, the Nets announced that they had purchased a new D-League team to be called theLong Island Nets. The team played their home games during the 2016–17 season at the Barclays Center and then at theNassau Coliseum inUniondale, New York, after renovations were complete for the 2017–18 season. The Long Island Nets became the twelfth D-League team to be owned by an NBA team.[113]
The television home of the Nets is currently theYES Network, which the team helped create while they were under the corporate umbrella ofYankeeNets LLC, a merger of business operations between the Nets and theNew York Yankees. 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 wasFox Sports Net New York andSportsChannel New York.
Select playoff games airover-the-air onWWOR-TV instead of on YES, this is only when Yankees games are airing at the same time. Previously these games aired onWLNY-TV orWPIX.
The currentflagship radio station of the Nets isWFAN, which took over the radio rights to the Nets after losing their basketball contract with theKnicks (who moved toWEPN). Prior to that, Nets games aired onWNEW,WMCA,WVNJ,WNBC,WQEW, andWOR.
In the club's early ABA years, some Sunday road games were televised in a package carried byWPIX. The team's later ABA tenure featured more frequent road telecasts on their 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.
Ian Eagle has been the sole television play-by-play announcer for the Nets since the departure ofMarv Albert in 2011. 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 byMSG Network in 2005 after four decades as the lead voice of theNew York Knicks. When Albert joined the broadcast team, he became the lead broadcaster with Eagle as 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.Ryan Ruocco substitutes for Eagle during the latter's CBS NFL and NCAA commitments.
As of 2024,Sarah Kustok, Ian Eagle,Ryan Ruocco, and/orNoah Eagle provide color commentary on YES Network broadcasts, and Meghan Triplett serves as courtside reporter.
WFAN is the Nets' current radio flagship, the station having assumed radio rights fromWOR following the 2003–04 season.Chris Carrino andTim Capstraw comprise the broadcast team, Carrino on play-by-play and Capstraw as the analyst. The games air on otherEntercom-operated stations, such asWCBS (AM) andWXBK, when there are programming conflicts on WFAN.
Nets games have also aired onWNEW andWQEW in the past.
During the club's ABA years, announcers includedMarty Glickman, Marv Albert's brothersAl Albert andSteve Albert, baseball Hall of Fame pitcherBob Gibson, Bob Goldsholl, as well as Sterling and Vince DiTomasso. The latter two joined the club's move into the NBA.
^Araton, Harvey (July 5, 2012)."Nets, After a String of Homes, Hope to Settle Into Brooklyn".The New York Times.Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. RetrievedApril 1, 2021.To afford the payments required to join the N.B.A. in 1976 and compete in Knicks territory, they sold Julius Erving, a future Hall of Famer, to the Philadelphia 76ers.
^Killin, James (January 24, 2014)."Jay Z faces $600m lawsuit over Brooklyn Nets trademark".thelineofbestfit.com.Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. RetrievedJune 16, 2021.Last year, Jay Z sold his 0.067% stake in the Nets to Taiwanese artist and fellow basketball fan Wilber Pan...
^Coon, Larry."NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement".Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. RetrievedApril 13, 2014.If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA.
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