I remember the Nets best for their back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in 2002, against the…read moreLos Angeles Lakers, and 2003, against the San Antonio Spurs (my favorite team). Back then, they were the New Jersey Nets (1977-2012). Their stars were Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, and Keith Van Horn. Martin, Kittles, and Van Horn all started their careers with the Nets. Martin and Kittles were drafted by the Nets in 2000 (1st overall pick) and 1996 (8th overall pick), respectively, and Van Horn (1997 2nd overall pick) was acquired by the Nets in a draft-day trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kidd, who's now head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, is one of the sport's all-time great point guards. He ranks 6th in NBA triple-doubles, behind Russell Westbrook (1st), Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic, and LeBron James. Kidd was the cover athlete of one of my favorite basketball video games, EA Sports NBA Live 2003. Unfortunately, the Nets got swept by the Lakers in the 2002 Finals and lost, 4-2, to the Spurs in the 2003 Finals. I was really rooting for the Nets to beat the Lakers in '02, but that Shaq-Kobe threepeat team was too good for even the best Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers teams at the time (great teams). Former Nets, like Kidd (2011 Mavs) and Richard Jefferson (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers), ended up winning NBA championships with other teams.
Since starting out in the ABA as the New Jersey Americans (1967-68) and New York Nets (1968-76), and merging into the NBA starting with the 1976-77 season, the Nets have bounced around New York and New Jersey. The Nets teams I grew up watching played in Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team moved from Newark to Brooklyn in 2012. The Nets' court at Barclays Center is distinct because of its gray color. It was unveiled ahead of the 2019-20 season and stands out visually. Per the Nets/NBA: "The colors of the floor, weathered wood and concrete gray, represent the numerous playground courts found throughout the borough; the brownstone-lined streets and Brooklyn's industrial foundation." Also, "[t]he baselines proudly display 'Brooklyn Nets' in typeface inspired by subway signage, with a subway tile pattern running across the apron perimeter." https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2019/09/23/brooklyn-nets-unveil-new-court
Since moving to Brooklyn, the Nets have been a near-perennial NBA playoff contender. However, they've only advanced past the first round two times since 2012 (2014, 2021) and have yet to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The 2020-21 team has been the most successful of the Brooklyn Nets teams so far. That team lost 4-3 in the Conference Semis to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, who had Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Nets were stacked during the '21 playoffs with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, along with complementary pieces like Joe Harris, Blake Griffin, and Jeff Green. They were coached by Steve Nash, another point guard great and Jason Kidd's contemporary. Nash was only in his first year as an NBA head coach.
Disappointingly, the star-studded Durant-Irving-Harden era ended with no title. Harden asked to be traded and was, in February 2022, to the 76ers. Early in the 2022-23 season, Nash was fired and Jacque Vaughn became head coach. In February 2023, Irving asked to be traded and was, to the Mavericks. Durant then asked to be traded and was, to the Phoenix Suns. At the time of writing this, Ben Simmons is the Nets' highest-paid player at $37.9 million this season (2023-24), followed by Cameron Johnson ($25.7 million), and Mikal Bridges ($21.7 million). Simmons, who was the 1st overall pick in 2016 and a 3-time NBA All-Star (2019, 2020, 2021), has been a letdown since joining the Nets in 2022 as part of the Harden trade. Simmons has had a lot of back issues. The Brooklyn Nets haven't had an All-Star selection since Durant in 2022. Durant, Irving, and Harden were all selected in 2021.