Brooklyn Nets

The Boston Celtics were once rivals of the Nets during the early 2000s because of 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 preceded by trash-talking from the Celtics[13] 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!"[14] 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?"[15] 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. Led by Kidd, the Nets advanced to the NBA Finals, and the following year, swept Boston in the 2003 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 of Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Kris Humphries. Rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and Kevin Garnett were fined.[16] 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.

However, the rivalry between the Nets and the Celtics appeared significantly cooled off by the June 2013 blockbuster trade that dealt Celtics stars Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets in exchange for Wallace, Humphries, and others. This move was billed as a merger of the two Atlantic Division teams.[17] Celtics announcer Sean Grande said, "It's almost as if you found a great home for these guys. You couldn't have found a better place. These guys will be in the New York market, they'll be on a competitive team, they'll stay on national TV. It's funny, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So with Celtics fans feeling the way they do about the Heat, feeling the way they do about the Knicks, the Nets are going to become almost the second [Boston] team now."[18]

In the 2019 NBA off-season, the Nets signed point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving coming off two seasons with the Celtics was described as selfish by many critics. This impression caused many Celtics fans to blame Irving 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 of Irving by chanting "Kyrie sucks" in TD Garden.[19] When the series returned to Brooklyn two days later, the Nets' fans chanted "Kyrie's better" in response to the chants in Boston.[20] The "Kyrie's Better" chants reference to how the Celtics signed Kemba Walker after Irving left for the Nets.

The Knicks–Nets rivalry has historically been a geographical one, with the Knicks playing in Madison Square Garden in the New York City borough of Manhattan, while the Nets played in the suburban area of Long Island and in New Jersey, and since 2012 have been playing at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Media outlets have noted the Knicks–Nets rivalry's similarity to those of other New York City teams, such as the Major League Baseball (MLB) Subway Series rivalry between the American League (AL)'s New York Yankees and the National League (NL)'s New York Mets, and the National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the National Football Conference (NFC)'s New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC)'s New York Jets, the result of the boroughs' proximity through the New York City Subway. Historically, the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn competed via the Dodgers–Giants rivalry, when the two teams were known as the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. Like the Knicks and Nets, the Giants and Dodgers played in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, and were fierce intraleague rivals.[21] The rivalry between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League has also taken on a similar dimension since the Islanders moved to Barclays Center in 2015.[22] Due to the Knicks being located in Manhattan and the Nets being located in Brooklyn, some media outlets have dubbed this rivalry "Clash of the Boroughs".[23][24]

A rivalry with the Toronto Raptors had begun in 2004, when then-Raptors guard/forward Vince Carter had been traded to the then-New Jersey Nets.[25][26] However, the two teams did not meet in the playoffs until 2007, when the Nets defeated the Raptors in the first round series, 4–2, after a go-ahead shot by Richard Jefferson with 8 seconds left in Game 6 led to a 98–97 victory.[27] Seven years later, the two teams met again in the first round, and the series went to seven games, with a game-winning block by Paul Pierce, giving the Nets the 104–103 victory.[28] The series was also noted for controversy when Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri made derogatory remarks towards Brooklyn at a fan rally outside Maple Leaf Square in Toronto before Game 1. Ujiri later apologized at halftime.[29] In 2020, the Raptors and Nets would face off once again in the 2020 NBA playoffs in the first round where Toronto would go on to win the series 4–0.[30]

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.[31]

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 now 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.[31]

The Nets changed uniforms upon moving to Nassau Coliseum. The white uniforms now 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.[31]

The Nets carried the "Stars and Stripes" uniform to New Jersey in 1977. The white uniform remained the same but the blue uniform now read "Nets" in front. When the team brought this set back for the 1983–84 season, the blue uniform added "New Jersey" in white block letters inside the red stripe.[31]

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.[31]

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 a tie-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.[31]

The Nets updated their visual identity prior to the 1997–98 season, now 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 stripes with silver-outlined diamonds.[31]

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" in Dodger blue, was first used in 2013 as a visual recall to the Brooklyn 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.[31]

With the switch from Adidas to Nike, 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 two 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" now written in graffiti style designed by Eric Haze.[31]

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 the Brooklyn Bridge. The following season, it was replaced with a black uniform featuring stylized Brooklyn camo patterns as a tribute to The 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 to Bedford–Stuyvesant where The Notorious B.I.G. grew up). The 2020–21 "City" uniform, which honors Brooklyn-born artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, is predominantly black and features "BKLYN NETS" written in Basquiat's style along with multi-colored striping.[31]

Cover to BrooklyKnight #1, distributed at the Brooklyn Nets home opener. Art by Mike Deodato.

The mascot 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 the 1997–98 season.[32] Prior to that, the Nets' mascot was an anthropomorphic dragon named Duncan the Dragon.[33]

After the Nets' move to Brooklyn, the team introduced a new superhero mascot named BrooklyKnight (a pun on the demonym "Brooklynite") on November 3, 2012. In his first appearance, he was lowered from the ceiling of Barclays Center amid sparks and fanfare and introduced by then-Nets PA announcer David Diamante: "Here to defend Brooklyn, he's the BrooklyKnight." The mascot was co-created by Marvel Entertainment, a sister company to NBA broadcasters ABC and ESPN. The character also starred in 32-page comic book published by Marvel titled BrooklyKnight #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato.[34][35] After the Nets' second season in Brooklyn, the BrooklyKnight mascot was retired.[36]

On November 3, 2012, the Nets introduced a new team anthem titled "Brooklyn: Something To Lean On", written and recorded by Brooklyn-born musician John Forté.[37] The song is notable for its refrain, which features the "Brooklyn" chant that has been popular with fans in the Barclays Center.[38]

The Brooklyn Brigade[39] 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.[40] That year the Nets were beginning their first season since making the transition to the Barclays Center from the Prudential Center (where they had played from 2010 to 2012). Edemeka attended a few early season games of the new Brooklyn team. At the time, the Nets were seen as an expansion team by the league and fans alike. 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 the SB Nation online blog, NetsDaily.[41]

The Brigade—at this time—was not relegated to Section 114.[42] Instead, Edemeka would purchase tickets in whichever section he could, which often included nosebleed 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.[43] Although Pavlova was a supporter of the group, other members of the organization were resistant to showing support for the Brigade. During the 2014-2015 NBA 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 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in 2014, while the Nets battled the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO, Brett Yomark, noticed the effect that the Brigade had on the arena, and he started to visit Section 114 distributing Nets' apparel. In 2016, the Nets hired Sean Marks as their general manager, who became an immediate supporter of the group.[44] During the 2018-2019 season, the Nets reserved section 114 for passionate fans, and called it "The BK Block."[45] Although the Brigade is an independent fan group of the Nets, The Block[46] comprises mostly Brigade members.[47]

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 entrepreneur Roy Boe.[53] 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 by Alan N. Cohen and Joseph Taub, who became known as the "Secaucus Seven".[54]

After a lengthy ownership of the franchise and numerous 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 by Raymond Chambers and Lewis Katz,[55] who called themselves the "Community Youth Organization" and wanted to move 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 owned the two teams, and later also the New Jersey Devils, and increase leverage in future broadcast contracts by negotiating together. After receiving offers from numerous broadcast partners, including what was their then-current rights holder Cablevision, YankeeNets decided to launch its own regional sports television called the YES 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 up.[56] With their plan to move the Nets dead, the Community Youth Organization placed the team on sale. After a short bidding process, the group secured a deal in 2004 with real estate 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.[57]

On September 24, 2009, Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia's third-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 funded a loan for the construction of a $700 million arena in Brooklyn which was later named the 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.[58] On May 11, 2010, following approval from the other owners of the NBA, Prokhorov had become a principal owner of the Nets.[59]

In late 2017, Prokhorov agreed to sell a 49% stake in the team to Tsai, with an option for Tsai to become the majority owner.[60] The option was exercised in August 2019, with Tsai also buying the Nets' arena, the 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.[61]

Source:[62]

The Nets' practice facility and headquarters for the team's basketball operations are located at the Hospital for Special Surgery Training Center (HSS Center) in the Industry City complex in the Sunset 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.[63] The opening of the training center completed the Nets' move to Brooklyn.

The team's previous practice facility was at the 65,000-square-foot PNY Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which opened in 1998.[64] Prior to that, the team practiced at the APA Recreation Center in North Bergen, New Jersey, sharing their lockers and practice courts with truck drivers who used the facility.[64]

In the aftermath of Hurricane 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.[65]

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 teams. 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.[66] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

Draft	Round	Pick	Player	Pos.	Nationality	Current team	Note(s)	Ref
2016	2	44	Isaïa Cordinier	G	France	Nanterre 92 (France)	Acquired from the Atlanta Hawks	[67]
2015	2	39	Juan Pablo Vaulet	F	Argentina	Baxi Manresa (Spain)	Acquired from the Charlotte Hornets	[68]
2015	2	49	Aaron White	F	United States	Panathinaikos (Greece)	Acquired from the Washington Wizards	[69]
2014	2	54	Nemanja Dangubić	G/F	Serbia	Partizan NIS (Serbia)	Acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers (via San Antonio)	[69]
2014	2	59	Xavier Thames	G	United States	Egis Körmend (Hungary)	Acquired from the Toronto Raptors	[70]

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 2019–20 season[71]

Other statistics (regular season) as of the end of the 2019–20 season[71]

Notes

Ian Eagle has television duties for the Nets after the departure of Marv 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 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 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. As of the 2011–12 season, Eagle is the sole lead announcer after Albert decided to move to CBS Sports for both NFL and NCAA basketball, in addition to his work on the NBA on TNT. Ryan Ruocco substitutes for Eagle during the latter's CBS NFL and NCAA commitments.

Joining Eagle in the booth for 2013 are former NBA player and ex-Net Donny Marshall and longtime Nets analyst Jim Spanarkel. Marshall replaced Mike Fratello as the lead analyst following the 2012–13 season and Spanarkel shares duties with him as he has in the past with other announcers.

As of 2019, Sarah Kustok and Richard Jefferson provide color commentary on YES Network broadcasts, and Michael Grady serves as courtside reporter.

WFAN is the Nets' current radio flagship, the station having assumed radio rights from WOR following the 2003–04 season. Chris Carrino and Tim Capstraw comprise the broadcast team, Carrino on play-by-play and Capstraw as the analyst. The games air on other Entercom-operated stations, such as WCBS (AM) and WNSH, when there are programming conflicts on WFAN.

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.

Nets games have also aired on WNEW and WQEW in the past.

During the club's ABA years, announcers included Marty Glickman, Marv Albert's brothers Al Albert and 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.