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New Jersey Americans Formation
Initially looking to play in New York, but blocked by the Knicks, the Americans first season was played in a converted armory in Teaneck, New Jersey. The Americans took the floor on October 23rd against the Pittsburgh Pipers in front of 3,000 fans with a group of semi-pro players as a new league known as the American Basketball Association tried to challenge the NBA, for professional basketball superiority. However, the Americans were a huge failure for the league as the team closes to New York drew less than 1,000 fans per game while posting a 36-42 record. Despite their poor record the Americans faced the Kentucky Colonels in a one game playoff to make to qualify for the playoffs. However, the circus left the Teaneck Armory in poor condition and the Colonels were awarded a forfeit win.
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Move to New York and Nickname Change
After a planned move to Newark, New Jersey fell through the team opted to stay at the Long Island Arena for the second year, 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 basket.