Established
1967
City
New Jersey - New York - New Jersey - Brooklyn
League History
1976 - Present / National Basketball Association
1967 - 1976 / American Basketball Association
Team History
2012 - Present / Brooklyn Nets
1977 - 2012 / New Jersey Nets
1968 - 1977 / New York Nets
1967 - 1968 / New Jersey Americans
Nickname
Nets - As a sports fan, you may be familiar with the Brooklyn Nets and their iconic black-and-white color scheme. But did you know that the team’s nickname has an interesting origin story?
The franchise was founded in 1967 as part of the American Basketball Association (ABA) under its original name, The New York Americans. It wasn't until 1972 that they changed their name to The New York Nets after merging with another ABA team from Kentucky called The Colonels. This new identity was chosen to reflect both teams' geographic locations - "Net" being a reference to basketball's net and "New York" being self-explanatory - but it also had symbolic meaning behind it too: “Nets” were seen as something that binds people together; connecting them through sport regardless of race or background which suited perfectly for this newly formed multi-cultural team coming from two different states!
In 1976, when they moved across state lines into New Jersey, they decided to change their location and tweak their name slightly by becoming known simply as 'The Nets.' This move made sense since now all players on the roster came from either Brooklyn or Newark at this point, so having one unified title made more sense than two separate ones like before. Finally, in 2012 when billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov bought out majority ownership rights over what is now known as today: ‘Brooklyn Nets'; thus bringing back some nostalgia while providing an updated image for fans everywhere who love watching professional basketball games at Barclays Center each season!
So there you have it – next time someone asks why they are called 'The Nets,' tell them how this unique nickname originated all those years ago!
Championship
NBA Championships 0
ABA Championships 0
1976, 1974
Arena
2012 - Present / Barclays Center
*New Jersey*
2010 - 2012 / Prudential Center
1981 - 2010 / Izod Center
1977 - 1981 / Rutgers Athletic Center
*New York*
1972 - 1977 / Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
1969 - 1972 / Island Garden
1968 - 1969 / Long Island Arena
*New Jersey*
1967 - 1968 / Teaneck Armory
Owner
2018 - Present / Joe and Clara Tsai
2010 - 2017 / Mikhail Prokhorov
2003 - 2010 / Bruce Ratner
1999 - 2003 / YankeeNets
1998 - 1999 / Raymond Chambers and Lewis Katz
1978 - 1998 / Secaucus Seven
1969 - 1978 / Roy Boe
1967 - 1969 / Arthur Brown
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
-
New Start in Brooklyn
After numerous delays to the project, Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov agreed to a $200 million deal on September 23, 2009, to become a principal owner of the Nets and a key investor in the team’s proposed home in Brooklyn, bringing in much-needed funding and finally allowing for the new arena to be built. After the dismissal of major pending lawsuits, ... -
Surprise Trade for Deron Williams
On February 23, 2011, the Nets made a surprising trade for All-Star point guard Deron Williams. The trade sent Devin Harris and rookie Derrick Favors to the Utah Jazz along with 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 ... -
Returning to New York
The new arena, later named Barclays Center, would be the center of an extensive redevelopment project called the Atlantic Yards being constructed by Ratner’s real estate development company. The new arena is located across the street from the site that Walter O’Malley wanted to use for a new stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 1950s. That plan was ... -
Blockbuster Trade with Boston
On June 27, 2013, the Nets and the Boston Celtics agreed in principle on a blockbuster trade (finalized July 12), dealing Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans (in a sign-and-trade), and Kris Joseph, along with three first-round draft picks (2014, 2016, 2018) and an option to swap the 2017 first-round pick, for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Nets
The Brooklyn Nets, formerly known as the New Jersey Nets, have a long and storied history in the National Basketball Association (NBA). From their inception as part of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967 to their current status as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there’s plenty to learn about this iconic franchise.
The team was founded by Arthur Brown Jr., who purchased an ABA franchise for $3 million. The team initially played at Long Island Arena before moving to Nassau Coliseum two years later. It wasn’t until 1977 that they moved into their current home, Barclays Center, located on Atlantic Avenue near Downtown Brooklyn.
Throughout its history, Brooklyn, previously known as the New Jersey Nets, has had some incredible players grace its court, including Julius Erving (Dr. J), Drazen Petrovic, and Jason Kidd—all Hall-of-Famers! Other notable names include Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, who helped lead them back into playoff contention after several down seasons during much of the 2000s decade.
In 2012, they made one of the biggest trades in NBA History when they acquired All-Star guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz and Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. This move marked a new era for Nets basketball, with these two stars leading them back into the playoffs every year since then, except the 2018–19 season, where injuries hampered the most successful run yet under head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Brooklyn, formerly known as the New Jersey Nets, currently holds the 3rd seed in the East conference standings, led by Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Caris LeVert. With the recent addition of James Harden via trade, the sky is the limit for this young core group looking forward to making a deep playoff run come April!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
3 / Dražen Petrović
5 / Jason Kidd
23 / John Williamson
25 / Bill Melchionni
32 / Julius Erving
52 / Buck Williams
*Blue is this team’s history