1
Jul
Team Profile
Brooklyn Nets: Five things you need to know
Image created using AI technolofy.
Brooklyn Nets: Reinvention has defined one of basketball's most fascinating franchises
- The Brooklyn Nets roster has an average age of 22.8 years
- The franchise won two ABA Championships in 1974 and 1976
- The Nets have retired eight numbers (including Julius Erving #32 and Jason Kidd #5)
- Two-time ABA champions (1974, 1976)
For Australian basketball fans, few NBA teams have felt more familiar in the past decade than the Brooklyn Nets.
Olympic bronze medallist Patty Mills became a fan favourite in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons arrived in one of the NBA's biggest blockbuster trades, while Victorian forward Mitch Creek realised his NBA dream wearing a Nets jersey.
Yet Australia's connection is only one chapter in the remarkable story of a franchise that has spent almost six decades reinventing itself.
The Nets have won ABA championships, produced some of basketball's greatest players, reached consecutive NBA Finals, represented three different homes and continually rebuilt in pursuit of the one prize still missing from their trophy cabinet – an NBA championship.
From Julius Erving and Jason Kidd to Kevin Durant and today's young rebuilding roster, every generation has left its mark on one of the NBA's most resilient organisations.
Australians who have played for the Nets
Few NBA franchises have featured more prominent Australians over the past decade than Brooklyn.
Patty Mills
Patty Mills arrived in Brooklyn in 2021 as one of Australia's greatest basketball exports and immediately became an important part of the Nets' championship aspirations.
Known throughout the NBA for his professionalism and leadership, Mills delivered one of the best shooting seasons of his career during 2021-22, averaging 11.4 points per game while providing invaluable experience alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Although Brooklyn never fulfilled its championship ambitions, Mills became a respected veteran voice within one of the league's highest-profile locker rooms.
Ben Simmons
When Ben Simmons joined the Nets in 2022 as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade, expectations were enormous.
The former No.1 overall draft pick arrived with All-Star credentials and elite defensive ability, expected to complement Durant and Irving as Brooklyn chased its first NBA championship. Injuries and inconsistency prevented Simmons from recapturing his All-Star form, but he still appeared in 90 games for the franchise before departing during the 2024-25 season.
Mitch Creek
Victorian forward Mitch Creek fulfilled a lifelong dream when he signed with the Nets during the 2018-19 season.
Although his NBA opportunity lasted only four games, Creek became another example of the growing Australian pathway into the world's best league. For Australian basketball fans, the Nets remain one of the NBA's most recognisable franchises.
2026-26 team snapshot
The Nets continue to embrace one of the NBA's most ambitious rebuilds.
Rather than chasing established superstars, Brooklyn has committed to developing a young, versatile roster under head coach Jordi Fernández while maintaining the flexibility to compete when the time is right.
The rebuild took another significant step during the 2026 offseason with the acquisition of former NBA All-Star Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle brings proven scoring, rebounding and veteran leadership to one of the league's youngest squads, providing an experienced cornerstone alongside the franchise's emerging talent.
Brooklyn also strengthened its depth by re-signing centre Day'Ron Sharpe and guard Keon Ellis, while adding versatile forwards Josh Minott and Hunter Tyson through trades. The Nets further invested in their future by signing first-round draft pick Joshua Jefferson to his rookie-scale contract and adding Chaney Johnson on a two-way deal.
The front office remained active throughout the season, acquiring promising wing Ochai Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors while continuing to cycle through young talent as part of the club's long-term evaluation process.
With established contributors including Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. complemented by an influx of young players and valuable draft assets, Brooklyn is focused on building sustainable success rather than chasing short-term results.
For the Nets, the priority is clear: develop the next generation, remain financially flexible and position the franchise to become a contender once again.
Identity
Few NBA franchises have reinvented themselves more often than the Nets.
Founded in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans in the rival American Basketball Association, the franchise has represented New Jersey, Long Island and Brooklyn while continually adapting to basketball's changing landscape.
Each move brought a different identity.
The ABA years were built on flair, creativity and Julius Erving's breathtaking athleticism.
The New Jersey years became synonymous with Jason Kidd's leadership and consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
The move to Brooklyn transformed the organisation into one of the league's most recognisable brands, embracing the borough's creativity, diversity and street culture through its iconic black-and-white identity.
While cities, uniforms and superstars have changed, one thing has remained constant.
The Nets have never been afraid to reinvent themselves.
Greatest Nets players
Every era of the franchise has produced players who shaped its identity.
Julius Erving established the Nets as the ABA's dominant team and remains the greatest player in franchise history.
Jason Kidd transformed the organisation into an NBA contender, leading Brooklyn to consecutive NBA Finals while becoming one of the greatest point guards of his generation.
Buck Williams remains the franchise's all-time leading rebounder, while Dražen Petrović's extraordinary shooting brilliance left an enduring legacy despite his tragic passing in 1993.
Brook Lopez became the franchise's all-time leading scorer through remarkable consistency, Vince Carter thrilled fans with his athleticism, and Kevin Durant delivered one of the highest individual peaks ever seen in a Nets uniform.
Patty Mills, Ben Simmons and Mitch Creek have each added an Australian chapter to the franchise's story, while today's rebuilding roster hopes to create the next great era.
Julius Erving put the franchise on the map
Long before the NBA arrived in Brooklyn, Julius Erving made the Nets one of basketball's biggest attractions.
Known simply as "Dr J", Erving combined spectacular athleticism with effortless scoring to transform the New York Nets into the ABA's dominant team.
He led the franchise to championships in 1974 and 1976 while winning three ABA Most Valuable Player awards.
His influence stretched well beyond championships.
Erving helped legitimise the ABA's exciting, above-the-rim style and remains one of the most influential players in basketball history.
Ironically, the franchise's greatest success created one of its biggest setbacks.
Following the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, the Nets were forced to pay an indemnity fee to the New York Knicks for entering the NBA market. To help finance the payment, the franchise sold Erving's contract to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending one of basketball's greatest partnerships almost overnight.
Jason Kidd built an NBA contender
No player has shaped the modern Nets more than Jason Kidd.
Acquired before the 2001-02 season, Kidd transformed a struggling franchise into an immediate championship contender through his leadership, defence and passing.
Alongside Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and later Vince Carter, Kidd led the Nets to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
Although both series ended in defeat, they remain the only NBA Finals appearances in franchise history.
Kidd's arrival changed expectations forever.
For the first time since joining the NBA, the Nets had become one of the league's genuine powerhouses.
The move to Brooklyn
In 2012, the franchise entered its boldest chapter yet.
After 35 seasons in New Jersey, the Nets crossed the Hudson River and moved to Brooklyn, becoming the borough's first major professional sports team since the Brooklyn Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957. The move wasn't simply a change of address—it was a complete rebrand.
Out went the colourful uniforms of the New Jersey era. In came a striking black-and-white identity inspired by Brooklyn's street culture, architecture and creative spirit. Minority owner and music icon Jay-Z played a key role in shaping the club's new image, helping establish the Nets as one of the NBA's most recognisable brands.
The Barclays Center quickly became one of basketball's premier venues and gave the franchise a home that reflected Brooklyn itself—modern, diverse and unapologetically different.
While championships have remained elusive, the move permanently changed the perception of the organisation both on and off the court.
The superteam that never reached its potential
Few teams have entered a season with greater expectations than the Nets of the early 2020s.
The arrivals of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and later James Harden created one of the most talented rosters ever assembled.
On paper, Brooklyn appeared destined to win its first NBA championship.
Instead, injuries, player availability and constant roster changes prevented the trio from reaching its full potential.
The closest the Nets came was the 2021 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, where they pushed the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks to a dramatic seven-game series. Durant's unforgettable 48-point performance in Game 7 almost carried Brooklyn to victory before the Bucks prevailed in overtime.
Although the era ultimately fell short of a championship, it reinforced Brooklyn as one of the NBA's premier destinations for superstar talent.
Five Fast Facts
1. The Nets won two ABA championships before joining the NBA in 1976.
2. Julius Erving led both ABA championship teams and won three ABA MVP awards.
3. Brooklyn became the borough's first major professional sports franchise since the Dodgers departed in 1957.
4. Jason Kidd led the franchise to its only two NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
5. The Nets are one of only four ABA franchises still competing in the NBA today.
Historical Timeline
- 1967: Franchise founded as the New Jersey Americans in the ABA.
- 1968: Relocated to Long Island and renamed the New York Nets.
- 1974: Won the first ABA championship behind Julius Erving.
- 1976: Won a second ABA championship before joining the NBA following the ABA-NBA merger.
- 1977: Relocated back to New Jersey.
- 2002: Reached the NBA Finals for the first time behind Jason Kidd.
- 2003: Returned to the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season.
- 2012: Moved to Brooklyn and opened a new era at Barclays Center.
- 2019: Signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in one of the biggest free agency coups in NBA history.
- 2021: Reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals with Durant, Irving and Harden.
Franchise Records
- ABA Championships: 2 (1974, 1976)
- NBA Championships: 0
- NBA Finals appearances: 2 (2002, 2003)
- Conference championships: 2
- Division championships: 5
- Retired numbers: 7
- All-time leading scorer: Brook Lopez – 10,444 points
- All-time leading rebounder: Buck Williams – 10,440 rebounds
- All-time assists leader: Jason Kidd – 6,009 assists
- All-time steals leader: Jason Kidd – 950 steals
- All-time blocks leader: Brook Lopez – 1,318 blocks
- Most wins in an NBA season: 52 (2001-02, 2020-21)
Looking ahead
Few franchises in professional basketball have changed as dramatically—or as often—as the Nets.
They have won championships in the ABA, survived league mergers, crossed state lines, reached the NBA Finals, assembled one of the most talented superteams in league history and transformed themselves into one of the NBA's strongest global brands.
Today, another chapter is beginning.
Under Jordi Fernández, the franchise has embraced patience, player development and long-term flexibility rather than chasing quick success. With a young roster, significant draft capital and one of basketball's biggest markets behind it, Brooklyn is positioning itself for sustained success rather than a short-lived title window.
If the history of the Nets has taught basketball fans anything, it is that change has never been something the franchise fears.
From New Jersey to New York, from Julius Erving to Jason Kidd, from Kevin Durant to the next generation, every era has brought a new identity.
The only piece still missing is an NBA championship.
That remains the challenge – and the opportunity – for the next generation of Brooklyn Nets.
