Town Where The New Jersey Nets: The New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn for a variety of reasons. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, I was always a fan of the New Jersey Nets. Despite not being the top team in the league, they were the only major basketball team based in New Jersey. Similarly, I had pleasant recollections of going to see the Nets play at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The Nets, on the other hand, would eventually relocate to Brooklyn, preserving their original moniker. But why did the New Jersey Nets relocate to Brooklyn, and was it a wise decision in the short and long run? We’ll take a look at the Nets’ history and why they relocated to Brooklyn in the sections below.
New Jersey’s Nets have a long and illustrious History: Surprisingly, the Nets, as an NBA basketball franchise, have a long and illustrious history in the league. The team was founded in 1967 and was one of the original members of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Due to pressure from the older NBA franchise, the New York Knicks, the team was unable to get an arena in New York and was renamed the New York Americans. When the Nets were looking for a place to play, they chose the Teaneck Armory in Teaneck, New Jersey.
The Teaneck Armory, however, was completely sold out the next year, forcing the team to transfer to the Long Island Arena in Commack, New York. The team changed its name to the New York Nets while on Long Island, choosing a moniker that rhymed with two other professional sports teams in the area, the New York Mets and the New York Jets. Despite their difficulties, the Nets were able to land and get Julius Erving, commonly known as Dr. J, from the Virginia Squires.
Required to pay NBA $3.2 Million joining Costs
The Nets would go on to win the ABA championship in 1974 and 1976 with Dr. J at the helm. The ABA would eventually merge with the NBA after the 1976 season, with the Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs joining the NBA. The franchise, on the other hand, would be required to pay the NBA $3.2 million in joining costs. This sum would be combined with a $4.8 million debt owing to the New York Knicks for “invading” the city.
These two payments would put the team in a budget crunch, causing them to back out on a promised pay boost for Dr. J. Julius Erving will refuse to report to camp since the team was unable to grant him a raise. With few options, the Nets would give his contract to the Knicks in exchange for a waiver of the indemnification provision. When the Knicks turned down the offer, the Philadelphia 76ers countered with a $3 million offer for Dr. J, which the Nets couldn’t refuse. However, following a disappointing 1976-77 season, the Nets relocated to New Jersey for the 1977-78 season.
The Knicks, on the other hand, would threaten the move if it infringed on their New Jersey territorial rights. The Nets eventually reached an agreement with the Knicks and agreed to pay them an additional $4 million. The New Jersey Nets relocated to the Meadowlands in 1981, where they would later become known as the Izod Center. The New Jersey Nets, on the other hand, would play poorly for much of the next two decades and gain a dreadful reputation in the league, to the point where team president Jon Spoelstra suggested calling the team the New Jersey Swamp Dragons.
The Nets, on the other hand, were determined to rebuild around the turn of the century. As a result, the Nets were able to acquire NBA All-Star Jason Kidd, as well as an all-star team that included Kerry Kittles, Richard Jefferson, and Kenyon Martin. Despite reaching the NBA Finals, the Brooklyn Nets were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
The Nets’ Reasons for Relocating Brooklyn to New Jersey
Despite the fact that the Nets spent most of their time in New Jersey, both in East Rutherford and Newark, the relocation to Brooklyn was primarily motivated by financial considerations. The Barclays Center is easily accessible by the New York City subway system and the Long Island Railroad system, attracting both casual and avid fans to the area. Brooklyn is one of the most populous metro regions in the country, and the Barclays Center is easily accessible by the New York City subway system and the Long Island Railroad system, attracting both casual and avid fans to the area.
In addition, Bruce Ratner’s purchase of the Nets franchise was calculated. In fact, Ratner’s original idea to relocate the Nets to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was designed to entice people to the Atlantic Yards redevelopment project, which is being built by Ratner’s real estate development company.
The Nets would return to the NBA Finals the following season, but they would lose 4 games to 2 to the San Antonio Spurs. Despite adding superstar Vince Carter to their lineup, the Nets were never able to recapture their previous grandeur. The Nets signed a deal to relocate to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on February 18, 2010. The Prudential Center would be the Nets’ final home venue in New Jersey. Despite a number of efforts to improve, the team would never achieve its goals.
What were you doing during the championship game?
Unfortunately, the Nets lost 105-86 against the 76ers in front of a sold-out crowd in their final game in New Jersey. What has happened in the last 35 years? It’s been quite a ride. Of course, they’d enjoyed a fantastic run before that 12-70 season. But, unlike the innumerable examples of bitter divorces that leave both town and team scarred for life (Brooklyn and the Dodgers, Cleveland and the original Browns, Houston and the Oilers), no tears were shed tonight in Jersey when the final buzzer sounded.
But I wanted to think about it more—how could such a proud state, with its own Napoleon complex, simply give up and throw its team over to the large city?
It could be due to the fact that basketball fans find it difficult to recognize the Nets because they play in the shadow of their cross-river opponents. Hey, it could be as a result of the Devils, the more successful and popular stadium-mate, taking the fans’ passion in a very competitive sports market. There is a slew of justifications we could make, but it ultimately boils down to who wins and who loses. The Nets haven’t just been below average, they’ve been trash for most of their 35 years in New Jersey.
Aside from the Jason Kidd years, when the team had a couple of Finals appearances, this is the team that traded Dr. J, agreed to take Kobe in the 1996 draught at Jerry West’s request, and most recently, the team that just couldn’t get the superstar they wanted. Whatever it was, the team and the community never truly fused. The future, however, appears bright as the team prepares to relocate to Brooklyn, which has aspired to have its own professional team since the Los Angeles Dodgers departed town in 1957. Finally, the Nets will be able to play in front of a community that is proud of its team.
