Quick Intro: New Jersey Nets History

A Quick Intro: New Jersey Nets history lesson sees a team that began in the ABA, and ended up as a long standing member of the NBA. The first year was 1967, and they were first known as the New Jersey Americans.

The next season they moved to Long Island and changed their name to the New York Nets, to rhyme with football's Jets and baseball's Mets. In 1972, the team tried to acquire Lew Alcindor out of UCLA but failed and ended up with Rick Barry instead. He promptly led them to the ABA championship, but the team lost. After the loss, Barry left the team and forced the Nets to rebuild. 

They drafted Julius Erving, who quickly won the MVP award and led the Nets to their first ABA championship in 1976, the final year that the ABA existed. 

The next year, the Nets moved back to New Jersey and joined the NBA. Unfortunately, because of the move, they were forced to pay the Knicks a fine for being located so close by, and did not have enough money to give Erving a raise. Dr. J demanded to be traded, and he ended up with the 76ers, sending the Nets into a rebuilding phase again.

The 1980s saw some talented teams with players like Darryl Dawkins, but they were unable to win the championship. By the late 1980s, injuries and poor decisions by the front office left the Nets as the worst team in the league. 

In the mid-1990s, John Calipari took over the coaching duties, and the team drafted Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn, and Tim Thomas, and paired them with center Jayson Williams. By the 1997-1998 season, the Nets finally made it back to the playoffs, but were forced to play the Bulls, in the midst of their second three-peat, and were eliminated. 

The 2000s have not been very successful for the Nets, despite having some talented players. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson have all been members of the team, but the Nets have been unable to find sustained success. 

The only thing to look forward to at this point for the Nets is a possible relocation to Brooklyn, assuming they can get approval.

References:  

NBA