The New Jersey Nets history traces back from the year 1967, making them one of earliest teams that were formed in the National Basketball Association and even in the American Basketball Association.
Up until now, the team New Jersey Nets in the NBA exists, making them one of the oldest teams in the NBA, which means they are very tough for surviving 43 years in the NBA.
Introduction
The New Jersey Nets is a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association of the NBA, and formerly in the American Basketball Association or the ABA. In the NBA, they play in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. Their previous arena was in Izod Arena, but they are now currently playing in the Prudential Center in Newark while waiting for their new arena in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center, which is still under construction.
Began in ABA
The New Jersey Nets actually played first in the ABA. The team’s name was originally New York Americans. The team had a difficult time in finding a venue for their games because the venues are either fully booked or the owner of the free venues won’t allow them to play there because they don’t want the New York Knicks to be angry at them for letting a rival team play in their arenas.
Luckily, they found a venue: Armory in Teaneck, New Jersey and since then, the team was named New Jersey Americans. In the middle of the season, the Armory became fully booked and they were forced to find another one, and luckily found one in the Long Island Arena in Commack, New York.
There, they changed their team to New Jersey Nets to rhyme with two other professional teams that played in that area: the New York Mets and the New York Jets. In 1973, the Nets acquired Julius “Dr. J” Erving and led the team throughout the season, ending it with a franchise record of 55 victories, Erving as the MVP and winning their first title, defeating Utah Stars, in the 1974 ABA finals.
Ended in NBA
In 1976 the ABA and the NBA merged, so the New Jersey Nets joined the NBA. However, due to financial problems, the owner then had no choice but to sell Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1977, the team set one record in New Jersey Nets history and in the NBA: the first NBA team to have an all left handed starting lineup.
The next seasons were quite difficult, and different events happened. The injuries of the players and the changing of the coaches almost every two to four years were some of the reasons why the New Jersey Nets had a difficult time in their first few years in the NBA.
However, good things also happened to the team, one of these is the arrival of Jason Kidd to the team in the year 2000. Kidd greatly contributed to the team in the next seasons. He even led the team to the NBA finals two times: in the season 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 which was the first appearance of the team in the NBA finals in New Jersey Nets History.
The following season, Vince Carter came and then the Kidd-Carter duo began and though the duo was great they did not win any NBA championships. In 2008, Kidd was traded to the Mavericks so did Richard Jefferson, but to the Bucks. Next year, 2009, Carter was traded to the Magics.