The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team based in the
New York City borough
The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that comprise New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of the State of New ...
of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. The Nets compete in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) as a member of the
Atlantic Division of the
Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at
Barclays Center. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other being the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
.
The club was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBA's rival league, the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
(ABA). They played in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before
relocating to
Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, in 1968 and changing their name to the New York Nets. During this time, the Nets won two
ABA championships (1974 and 1976). In 1976, the ABA
merged
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams (the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
,
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
, and
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
), all of whom remain in the league to this day.
In 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as the New Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. Led by star point guard
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
, the Nets reached the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
in two consecutive NBA seasons (
2001–02 and
2002–03), but failed to win a championship. In the summer of 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center in Brooklyn,
becoming the first major sports franchise in the borough since the departure of the
Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team in 1957. Since moving to Brooklyn, the Nets have qualified for the playoffs on eight occasions, including trips to the conference semifinals in
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
and
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
.
History
The Brooklyn Nets were founded in
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
and initially played in
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held ...
, as the New Jersey Americans. In its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving to
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets.
Led by Hall of Famer
Julius "Dr. J" Erving, the Nets won two
ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the
ABA–NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...
in 1976. Unlike the other three ABA teams entering the NBA, who played in cities without any NBA presence, the Nets were required to pay an "invasion fee" of $4.8million (equivalent to $million in ) to the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. The team was forced to finance that payment by selling Erving's contract to the
Philadelphia 76ers; and the Nets went from winning the last ABA title in
1975–76 to having the worst record in the NBA in
1976–77. The team then moved back to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets. During their time in the state, the Nets played in two consecutive
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
in the
2001–02 and
2002–03 seasons, led on the court by point guard
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
.
After playing 35 seasons in New Jersey, the team moved back to the state of New York, changed its geographic name to Brooklyn, and began playing in the new
Barclays Center, starting with the
2012–13 NBA season
The 2012–13 NBA season was the 67th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA champions Miami Heat started the season by hosting the Boston Celtics. The 2013 NBA A ...
.
The team's move from New Jersey to Brooklyn was approved unanimously by the NBA Board of Governors on April 13, 2012.
Rivalries
Boston Celtics
During the early 2000s, the Nets were led by
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
and
Kenyon Martin, while the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The rivalry began to heat up in the conference finals of the
2002 playoffs, which was preceded by
trash talking from the Celtics, who claimed Martin was a "fake" tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands. Celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of ''"Wife Beater!"'' in response to Kidd's 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, with some brandishing signs that read "Will someone please stab Paul Pierce?" referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded,
Kenyon Martin stated, "Our fans hate them, their fans hate us."
Bill Walton said at the time that Nets–Celtics was the "beginning of the next great NBA rivalry" during the conference finals. Led by Kidd, the Nets advanced to the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
, and the following year, swept Boston in the
2003 playoffs.
On November 28, 2012, there were indications that the rivalry might be rekindled when an altercation occurred on the court, resulting in the ejection of
Rajon Rondo,
Gerald Wallace, and
Kris Humphries. Rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and
Kevin Garnett were fined. The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnett's shorts and the two had to be broken up by referees and players alike.
In the 2019 NBA off-season, the Nets signed point guard
Kyrie Irving. Coming off two seasons with the Celtics, Irving was described as selfish by many critics. This impression caused many Celtics fans to blame him for the Celtics' inability to get through to the playoffs.
During a regular season game in the 2019–20 season between the Celtics and Nets, the Celtics' fans displayed their displeasure with Irving by chanting "Kyrie sucks" in
TD Garden. When the series returned to Brooklyn two days later, the Nets' fans chanted "Kyrie's better" in response to the chants in Boston. The "Kyrie's Better" chants reference to how the Celtics signed
Kemba Walker after Irving left for the Nets.
On May 30, 2021, after Kyrie Irving stomped on the Celtics center-court logo, a fan threw a
water bottle at Irving at TD Garden following a Nets victory and a 3–1 lead in the series.
New York Knicks
The Knicks–Nets rivalry has historically been a geographical one, with the Knicks playing in
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in the New York City borough of
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, while the Nets played in the suburban area of
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
and in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, and since 2012 have been playing at
Barclays Center in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. Media outlets have noted the Knicks–Nets rivalry's similarity to those of other New York City teams, such as the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) historical
Subway Series rivalry and the current
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL)'s
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
and the
National League (NL)'s
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, and the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL)
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC)'s
New York Giants and the
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
(AFC)'s
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, the result of the boroughs' proximity through the
New York City subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
. Historically, the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn competed via the
Dodgers–Giants rivalry, when the two teams were the
Brooklyn Dodgers and the
New York Giants. Like the Knicks and Nets, the Giants and Dodgers played in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, and were fierce intraleague rivals. The
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
and
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) took on a similar dimension while the Islanders inhabited the Barclays Center, from 2015 to 2021. Due to the Knicks being located in Manhattan and the Nets being located in Brooklyn, some media outlets have dubbed this rivalry "Clash of the Boroughs".
Toronto Raptors
The rivalry with the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
began in the 2000s, specifically in 2004, after Raptors guard/forward
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, b ...
was traded to the New Jersey Nets.
However, the two teams did not meet in the playoffs until
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, when the Nets defeated the Raptors in the first round series, 4 games to 2, after a go-ahead shot by
Richard Jefferson with 8 seconds left in Game 6 led to a 98–97 victory.
In
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, the teams met again in the first round, and the series went to seven games, with a game-winning block by
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. As of September 2024, he is a contributo ...
, giving the Nets the 104–103 victory.
The series was noted for controversy when Toronto Raptors general manager
Masai Ujiri made derogatory remarks towards Brooklyn at a fan rally outside
Maple Leaf Square in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
before Game 1. Ujiri later apologized at halftime. The Raptors and Nets faced each other in the
2020 NBA playoffs in the first round, with Toronto winning the series four games to none.
Season-by-season record
''List of the last five seasons completed by the Nets. For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Brooklyn Nets seasons.''
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage''
Uniforms
New Jersey Americans
Upon debuting in the ABA in 1967, the New Jersey Americans wore white and red uniforms. The white uniforms contained red, blue and white stripes, with the team name and numerals in red with blue trim. The red uniforms mirror the striping configurations of the white uniforms while the city name and numerals were in blue with white trim.
New York Nets
1968–1972
Moving to Long Island as the New York Nets, they kept the original Americans template except for the location and team name. The white uniforms featured a script "Nets" lettering with a tail accent below, while the red uniforms featured "New York" in block letters (similar to the New York Knicks). Over the years, the letters and stripes would endure a few adjustments.
[
]
1972–1977
The Nets changed uniforms upon moving to Nassau Coliseum. The white uniforms featured a thick blue stripe with white stars on the left, along with a red stripe and white outline. The team name is written in red block letters. The blue uniforms, which featured "New York" in white block letters, mirrored that of the white uniforms.[
]
New Jersey Nets
1977–1981; 1983–1990
The Nets carried the "Stars and Stripes" uniform to New Jersey in 1977. The white uniform remained the same but the blue uniform read "Nets" in front. The blue uniform later added "New Jersey" in white block letters inside the red stripe.[
]
1981–1983
Upon moving to the Meadowlands in 1981, the Nets briefly changed their uniform set. The white uniform brought back the "Nets" script from the original New York Nets uniforms, but the color scheme became blue with red trim. The blue uniform featured "New Jersey" stacked together in a similar script style, and the letters were colored in red with white trim.[
]
1990–1997
The Nets underwent a visual rebrand before the 1990–91 season. The white uniform featured a more futuristic "Nets" script in red with white and blue trim, while adding red and blue stripes. Initially, the Nets wore white and light blue gradient road uniforms that had a tie-dye
Tie-dye is a term used to describe a number of resist dyeing techniques and the resulting dyed products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment, before binding ...
effect, but switched to a solid blue uniform after only one season. Both blue uniforms featured the same "Nets" script in red with blue and white trim along with red and white stripes.[
]
1997–2012
The Nets updated their visual identity prior to the 1997–98 season, going with a deeper red and navy scheme with silver accents. The white uniform, which remained virtually unchanged throughout its history, featured the team name in navy with silver and red trim. The navy uniform featured the city name in silver with navy and red trim. The dark grey alternate uniform, used until 2006, initially went with the city name in navy with white and red trim, but reversed the color scheme to white with red and navy trim after only two seasons. This uniform was the only one to feature the "NJ" alternate logo on the neckline. The red alternate uniform, which replaced the grey alternate and became the primary dark uniform in 2009, featured the team name in white with navy and silver trim. All uniforms featured thick navy and silver argyle stripes.[
]
Brooklyn Nets
2012–2017
Upon moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the Nets went with a simple black and white uniform design, with "Brooklyn" in front of both the white and black uniforms. They also wore three different alternate uniforms. A grey-sleeved alternate with "Brooklyn" in Dodger blue, was first used in 2013 as a visual recall to the Brooklyn Dodgers. A white-sleeved alternate with the team name in black, featured the same "Stars and Stripes" look from the 1970s. A dark grey sleeveless alternate, meant to recall the 1980s New Jersey Nets uniforms, featured the team name in white and the city name in white written inside a black stripe.[
]
2017–present
With the switch from Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
to Nike, the Nets kept most aspects of their visual identity intact. The white uniform became the "Association" uniform while the black uniform became the "Icon" uniform. The Nets have had three different versions of the "Statement" uniform. The first set, with "BKLYN" in white, was in dark grey and featured the same stars and stripes look from the 1970s. The uniform was updated in 2019 to a lighter grey base and black/dark grey stripes, with "BKLYN" written in graffiti
Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
style designed by Eric Haze. In 2022, the Nets again changed its "Statement" uniform, this time with a black base, black letters with silver trim, and a subtle greyscale herringbone striping with three black stars on the left.[
The Nets also employed a fourth uniform option: the "City" uniform. The 2017–18 black "City" uniform featured the full team name spelled in white along with grey accents inspired from the Brooklyn Bridge. The following season, it was replaced with a black uniform featuring stylized Brooklyn camo patterns as a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. For 2019–20, the Nets wore white versions of the "Biggie" uniforms, but with Haze-designed "BED-STUY" graffiti lettering in front (a reference to Bedford–Stuyvesant where the Notorious B.I.G. grew up). The 2020–21 "City" uniform, which honors Brooklyn-born artist ]Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the neo-expressionism movement.
Basquiat first achieved notoriety in the late 1970s as part of the graffiti ...
, is predominantly black and features "BKLYN NETS" written in Basquiat's style along with multi-colored striping.[ The Basquiat-inspired "City" uniform returned in 2022–23 but in a white base.
In the 2021–22 season, the Nets' "City" uniform featured visual references to the Nets' uniform history. The navy base and white and silver argyle stripes recalled the 1997–2009 uniforms. The "Nets" wordmark and lettering were taken from the 1990–97 uniforms. A red stripe with white stars honored the "Stars and Stripes" uniform of the 1970s and 1980s. A modified version of the 1980s New Jersey Nets logo, replacing the New Jersey outline with the map of Brooklyn, was added to the right leg. The 1997–2012 shield logo, also tweaked to feature the current "B" alternate logo, was added on the waist.
The "City" uniform for the 2023–24 season featured a collaboration with Brooklyn-based artist Kaws. The predominantly dark grey design featured splashes of light grey, blue, turquoise and pink inspired by Kaws' "Tension" series. The stylized "Nets" wordmark was also influenced by Kaws' graphic style. The design was slightly tweaked for the 2024–25 "City" uniform, this time with the color splashes relegated to the "Brooklyn" wordmark as part of an outer trim, with the base now featuring greyscale splashes.
A fifth uniform option, the "Earned" uniform, is released occasionally and is exclusive only to the teams who qualified in the ]NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...
the previous year. The Nets, by virtue of qualifying in the 2020 NBA playoffs, were given an "Earned" uniform. The design featured the herringbone parquet style of the Barclays Center court in shades of black and grey, with Helvetica lettering inspired from the signs found at the New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
.[
]
Culture
Mascot
The mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...
of the New Jersey Nets was Sly the Silver Fox, who debuted on October 31, 1997, as part of the rebranding of the Nets for the 1997–98 season. Prior to that, the Nets' mascot was an anthropomorphic dragon named Duncan the Dragon.
After the Nets' move to Brooklyn, the team introduced a new superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
mascot named BrooklyKnight (a pun on the demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
"Brooklynite") on November 3, 2012. In his first appearance, he was lowered from the ceiling of Barclays Center amid sparks and fanfare and introduced by Nets public address announcer David Diamante: "Here to defend Brooklyn, he's the BrooklyKnight." The mascot was co-created by Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and Marvel Enterprises, Inc.) was an American entertainment company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment Group, Marvel Ente ...
, a sister company to NBA broadcasters ABC and ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. The character also starred in a 32-page comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
published by Marvel titled ''BrooklyKnight #1'', written by Jason Aaron with art from Mike Deodato. After the Nets' second season in Brooklyn, the BrooklyKnight mascot was retired, leaving the Nets mascotless.
Team anthem
On November 3, 2012, the Nets introduced a new team anthem titled "Brooklyn: Something To Lean On", written and recorded by Brooklyn-born musician John Forté. The song is notable for its refrain, which features the "Brooklyn" chant that has been popular with fans in the Barclays Center.
Brooklyn Brigade
The Brooklyn Brigade is a group of fans who are known for their loud chants and passionate attitude towards the Nets. The group was founded in November 2012 by Nets fan and Brooklyn native Udong "Bobby" Edemeka. Edemeka attended a few early season games of the team in their new Brooklyn home. Edemeka noticed that the team lacked a solid fan base in their new home, and decided to purchase tickets for a small group of roughly 20 fans who he noticed were regular followers of the team on the SB Nation
''SB Nation'' (an abbreviation for their full name ''SportsBlogs Nation'') is a sports blogging network owned by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Tyler Blezinski, Markos Moulitsas, and Jerome Armstrong in 2003. The blog from which the netwo ...
online blog, NetsDaily.
The Brigade was not yet based in Section 114. Instead, Edemeka would purchase tickets in whichever section he could, which often included nosebleed seats. The Brigade initially did not get much recognition from the Nets. Edemeka met with the CEO Irina Pavlova (of the ONEXIM Group), who was fond of the group's antics. Although Pavlova was a supporter of the group, other members of the organization were resistant to showing support for the Brigade. During the 2014–15 season, however, the Brooklyn Nets organization began assigning seats to the Brigade in Section 114 of the Barclays Center. This section is adjacent to the press booth and gave the Brooklyn Brigade exposure on a regional level and then eventually on a national level.
During the conference semifinals in 2014, while the Nets battled the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yomark noticed the Brigade's effect on the arena, and he started to visit Section 114 distributing Nets' apparel. In 2016, the Nets hired Sean Marks as their general manager, who became an immediate supporter of the group. During the 2018–19 season, the Nets reserved section 114 for passionate fans, and called it "The BK Block." Although the Brigade is an independent fan group of the Nets, The Block comprises mostly Brigade members.
Mr. Whammy
Bruce Reznick, known commonly as "Mr. Whammy", is an iconic 86-year-old Nets superfan. Reznick became a Nets season ticket holder in 1998 when the Nets played in Continental Airlines Arena. He is known for his signature "whammy", a practice in which he stands on the sidelines in view of opposing players while they are attempting free throws and tries to distract them with pointing, jumping, and yelling. Reznick will not "whammy" players that have previously played for the Nets. Reznick believes the practice is effective as Barclays Center often has one of the lowest opposing team free throw percentages in the league. For example, by January 11, 2023, opposing teams had only a 70.3 free throw shot percentage in Brooklyn, which was about eight points lower than league average for the 2022–23 NBA season
The 2022–23 NBA season was the 77th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 18, 2022, and ended on April 9, 2023. The 2023 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 19, 2023, at Vivint Arena i ...
. Before Reznick was given the name "Mr. Whammy" by Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle he was referred to as "Red Shirt".
Management
On September 18, 2019, Joseph Tsai, the executive vice chairman of the Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group Holding Limited, branded as Alibaba (), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in E-commerce in China, e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology. Founded on 28 June 1999 in Hangzho ...
, completed the acquisition of full ownership of the Brooklyn Nets. With the closing of the transaction, Tsai became NBA Governor of the Nets and its affiliates. Additionally, former Turner Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its ass ...
president David Levy was named CEO of the Nets and Barclays Center. On November 12, the Nets and Barclays Center announced that David Levy would step down from the CEO position he had assumed less than two months before. Oliver Weisberg, president of Tsai's holding company J Tsai Sports, assumed an interim CEO role.
Ownership history
The original owner of the Nets franchise was trucking magnate Arthur J. Brown, who founded the team in 1967. The next year, Brown sold the team for $1.1 million to entrepreneur Roy Boe. Due to financial losses suffered while the team was on Long Island, Boe moved the team back to New Jersey in 1977 and sold the team a year later to a group of seven local businessmen led by Alan N. Cohen and Joseph Taub, who became known as the " Secaucus Seven".
After a lengthy ownership of the franchise and numerous unsuccessful attempts to improve the financial situation of the team, the "Secaucus Seven" finally sold the team in 1998 to a group of local real estate developers led by Raymond Chambers and Lewis Katz, who called themselves the "Community Youth Organization" and wanted to move the team to Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
. The next year the group signed an agreement with New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
owner George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
to form YankeeNets, a holding company that owned the two teams, and later also the New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
, and increase leverage in future broadcast contracts by negotiating together. After receiving offers from several broadcast partners, including Cablevision, which held their rights at that time, YankeeNets decided to launch its own regional sports television called the YES Network.
YankeeNets failed in its attempts to secure a deal with Newark to construct a new arena in the city. By that point in time, tensions between the management of the Yankees, Nets, and the Devils had cause a rift between them, and a decision was made to split the group. With their plan to move the Nets dead, the Community Youth Organization placed the team up for sale. After a short bidding process, the group secured a deal in 2004 with real estate developer Bruce Ratner to buy the team for $300 million, defeating a similar offer by Charles Kushner and Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey. Ratner had purchased the team with the intent of moving it to a new arena in Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, which was to be a centerpiece of the large-scale Atlantic Yards development.
Rapper Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
owned a small minority stake in the Nets from 2003 until 2013. Jay-Z was a leader in the marketing for the team and helped encourage their move from New Jersey to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, in which he also held a stake. He relinquished his stake after registering as a sports agent with his new agency Roc Nation Sports, to avert any potential conflicts of interest. His shares were eventually sold to singer, rapper, actor and entrepreneur Will Pan, making Pan the first American of Taiwanese descent to own a U.S. professional sports franchise.
On September 24, 2009, Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia's third-richest man according to ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'', confirmed his intention to become majority owner of the Nets. Prokhorov sent an offer to the team owners requesting that the controlling shares of the basketball club be sold to his company, Onexim, for a symbolic price. In return, Prokhorov funded a loan of $700 million for the construction of Barclays Center, and attracted additional funds from Western banks. Prokhorov stated that he initiated the deal to help push Russian basketball to a new level of development. On May 11, 2010, following approval from the other owners of NBA teams, Prokhorov had become the principal owner of the Nets.
In late 2017, Prokhorov agreed to sell a 49% stake in the team to Joseph Tsai, with an option for Tsai to become the majority owner. The option was exercised in August 2019, with Tsai also buying the Nets' arena, Barclays Center, from Prokhorov for nearly $1 billion in a separate deal. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale to Tsai on September 18, 2019.
Facilities
Home arenas
Source:
Practice facilities
The Nets' practice facility and headquarters for the team's basketball operations are located at the Hospital for Special Surgery Training Center in the Industry City complex in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The facility opened on February 17, 2016, and is built on the roof of an empty warehouse in the complex, occupying 70,000 square feet of space in total. The renovation project cost roughly $50 million. The opening of the training center completed the Nets' move to Brooklyn.
The team's previous practice facility was at the 65,000-square-foot PNY Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which opened in 1998. Prior to that, the team practiced at the APA Recreation Center in North Bergen, New Jersey, sharing their lockers and practice courts with truck drivers who used the facility, and at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area () in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,487, a decrease of 403 ...
.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...
in November 2012, PNY Center suffered a power outage and extensive water damage due to flooding, and for several months, the team used the smaller training spaces and practice courts inside the Barclays Center instead.
Personnel
Current roster
Retained draft rights
The Nets hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA team. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
Franchise leaders
Bold denotes still active with the team. ''Italics'' denotes still active, but not with the team. "Name*" includes combined statistics for the team from both the ABA and NBA.
;Points scored (regular season) as of the end of the 2024–25 season
# '' Brook Lopez'' (10,444)
# Buck Williams (10,440)
# Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, b ...
(8,834)
# Richard Jefferson (8,507)
# Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
(7,373)
# John Williamson* (7,202)
# Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
* (7,104)
# Kerry Kittles (7,096)
# Derrick Coleman (6,930)
# Chris Morris (6,762)
# Mike Gminski (6,415)
# Billy Paultz* (6,297)
# Bill Melchionni* (6,230)
# Otis Birdsong (5,968)
# Keith Van Horn (5,700)
# Albert King (5,595)
# Joe Harris (5,007)
# '' Spencer Dinwiddie'' (4,953)
# Kendall Gill (4,932)
# Darwin Cook (4,699)
;Other statistics (regular season) as of the end of the 2024–25 season
Retired numbers
* The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.
Basketball Hall of Famers
FIBA Hall of Fame
Individual awards
NBA
; NBA Rookie of the Year
* Buck Williams – 1982
* Derrick Coleman – 1991
; NBA Executive of the Year
* Rod Thorn – 2002
; NBA Sportsmanship Award
* Patty Mills – 2022
; J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
* Wayne Ellington – 2016
; All-NBA First Team
* Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
– 2002, 2004
; All-NBA Second Team
* Buck Williams – 1983
* Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
– 2003
* Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
– 2022
; All-NBA Third Team
* Derrick Coleman – 1993, 1994
* Dražen Petrović – 1993
* Stephon Marbury – 2000
* Kyrie Irving – 2021
; NBA All-Defensive First Team
* Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
– 2002, 2006
;NBA All-Defensive Second Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
* Buck Williams – 1988
* Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
– 2003–2005, 2007
; NBA All-Rookie First Team
* Bernard King – 1978
* Buck Williams – 1982
* Derrick Coleman – 1991
* Keith Van Horn – 1998
* Kenyon Martin – 2001
* Brook Lopez – 2009
* Mason Plumlee – 2014
; NBA All-Rookie Second Team
* Chris Morris – 1989
* Kerry Kittles – 1997
* Richard Jefferson – 2002
* Nenad Krstić – 2005
* Marcus Williams – 2007
* MarShon Brooks – 2012
* Bojan Bogdanović – 2015
ABA
; ABA Most Valuable Player
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1974–1976
; ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1974, 1976
; ABA Rookie of the Year
* Brian Taylor – 1973
; All-ABA Team First Team
* Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the m ...
– 1971, 1972
* Bill Melchionni – 1972
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1974–1976
; All-ABA Team Second Team
* Brian Taylor – 1975
ABA All-Time Team
* Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the m ...
– 1997
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1997
* Billy Paultz – 1997
ABA All-Time MVP
*Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1997
; ABA All-Defensive Team
* Mike Gale – 1974
* Brian Taylor – 1975, 1976
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1976
; ABA All-Rookie Team
* John Roche – 1972
* Jim Chones – 1973
* Brian Taylor – 1973
* Larry Kenon – 1974
* John Williamson – 1974
* Kim Hughes – 1976
NBA All-Star Weekend
;NBA All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
* Buck Williams – 1982, 1983, 1986
* Otis Birdsong – 1984
* Micheal Ray Richardson – 1985
* Kenny Anderson – 1994
* Derrick Coleman – 1994
* Jayson Williams – 1998
* Stephon Marbury – 2001
* Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
– 2002–2004, 2007, 2008
* Kenyon Martin – 2004
* Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, b ...
– 2005–2007
* Devin Harris – 2009
* Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball, Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in ...
– 2012
* Brook Lopez – 2013
* Joe Johnson – 2014
* D'Angelo Russell – 2019
* Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
– 2021, 2022
* James Harden – 2021
* Kyrie Irving – 2021
; NBA All-Star Game head coaches
* Byron Scott – 2002
ABA All-Star Game
ABA All-Star Game
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1974–1976
* Bill Melchionni – 1971–1973
* Billy Paultz – 1973–1975
* Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the m ...
– 1971, 1972
* Larry Kenon – 1974, 1975
* Brian Taylor – 1975, 1976
* Tony Jackson – 1968
* Walt Simon – 1969
* Levern Tart – 1970
ABA All-Star Game head coaches
* Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael "Murph" Loughery (born March 28, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Loughery coached both Julius Erving and Michael Jordan, and gave Phil Jackson his first NBA coaching job.
Early life
Loughe ...
– 1975, 1976
ABA Slam Dunk Contest
* Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
– 1976
NBA D-League/G League affiliation
The Nets signed an agreement with the Springfield Armor to become its exclusive NBA Development League affiliate starting in the 2011–12 season. This made the Nets the second team to opt for a D-League "hybrid affiliation", the first being the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Springfield ownership maintained control over business, marketing, and day-to-day operations, with the Nets having control over coaching and player decisions. This hybrid model was well received by GMs and owners. However, after three seasons, the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
purchased the Armor from its former owners, and moved and renamed the team the Grand Rapids Drive.
On November 6, 2015, the Nets announced that they had purchased a new D-League team to be called the Long Island Nets. The team played their home games during the 2016–17 season at the Barclays Center and then at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, after renovations were complete for the 2017–18 season. The Long Island Nets became the twelfth D-League team to be owned by an NBA team.
Media
The television home of the Nets is currently the YES Network, which the team helped create while they were under the corporate umbrella of YankeeNets LLC, a merger of business operations between the Nets and the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. After the dissolution of YankeeNets and Bruce Ratner's purchase of the team, YES signed a long-term deal to keep broadcasting Nets games. The sale to the Ratner group did not include the percentage of YES that was previously owned by the Nets, which remains with the pre-merger Nets owners. Prior to that, the Nets' TV home was Fox Sports Net New York and SportsChannel New York.
Select playoff games air over-the-air on WWOR-TV instead of on YES, this is only when Yankees games are airing at the same time. Previously these games aired on WLNY-TV
WLNY-TV (channel 55), branded on-air as New York 55, is an independent television station licensed to Riverhead (CDP), New York, Riverhead, New York, United States, serving the New York City television market. It is owned by the CBS News and Sta ...
or WPIX.
The current flagship radio station of the Nets is WFAN, which took over the radio rights to the Nets after losing their basketball contract with the Knicks (who moved to WEPN). Prior to that, Nets games aired on WNEW, WMCA, WVNJ, WNBC
WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey� ...
, WQEW, and WOR.
In the club's early ABA years, some Sunday road games were televised in a package carried by WPIX. The team's later ABA tenure featured more frequent road telecasts on their current broadcast partner, WWOR-TV. Known then as WOR-TV, it continued airing road games for a time once the team joined the NBA in 1976.
Television
Ian Eagle has been the sole television play-by-play announcer for the Nets since the departure of Marv Albert in 2011. Eagle became the lead television voice for the team in 1995 after serving as the team's radio voice for one year, while Albert joined the Nets following his firing by MSG Network in 2005 after four decades as the lead voice of the New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. When Albert joined the broadcast team, he became the lead broadcaster with Eagle as his substitute; beginning in the 2009–10 season, due to Albert's advancing age and his other commitments, Eagle once again assumed the lead play-by-play spot. Ryan Ruocco substitutes for Eagle during the latter's CBS NFL and NCAA commitments.
As of 2024, Sarah Kustok, Ian Eagle, Ryan Ruocco, and/or Noah Eagle provide color commentary on YES Network broadcasts, and Meghan Triplett serves as courtside reporter.
Radio
WFAN is the Nets' current radio flagship, the station having assumed radio rights from WOR following the 2003–04 season. Chris Carrino and Tim Capstraw comprise the broadcast team, Carrino on play-by-play and Capstraw as the analyst. The games air on other Entercom-operated stations, such as WCBS (AM) and WXBK, when there are programming conflicts on WFAN.
Other broadcasters who have worked for the Nets include Howard David
Howard David is an American sportscaster.
Biography
Over the years, David has been the radio play-by-play man for several pro sports teams including the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics and the NFL's New York Jets ...
, Bob Papa, Bill Raftery, Kelly Tripucka, Albert King, Mike O'Koren, Spencer Ross, Mel Proctor
Mel Proctor (born 1946) is an American television sportscaster, actor, and author.
Biography
A Denver, Colorado native, Proctor has called play-by-play for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Sa ...
, Joe Tait, John Sterling, John Minko and Mark Jackson.
Nets games have also aired on WNEW and WQEW in the past.
During the club's ABA years, announcers included Marty Glickman, Marv Albert's brothers Al Albert and Steve Albert, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson
Robert Gibson (November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competi ...
, Bob Goldsholl, as well as Sterling and Vince DiTomasso. The latter two joined the club's move into the NBA.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, Basketball, New York City, New York (state)
American Basketball Association teams
NBA teams
Basketball teams established in 1967
1967 establishments in New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
Nets
YES Network
Forest City Realty Trust
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn