The Nets are leaning back into the parts of their story they once tried to leave behind.
For years, Brooklyn branding meant a clean break. The franchise arrived in 2012 with “Established in 2012” stamped across the new look, and that message was clear enough for longtime followers in New Jersey and Long Island: the past was being pushed aside.
But the Nets’ history stretches far beyond Brooklyn. It starts with the ABA, when the then-New Jersey Americans opened at the Teaneck Armory as charter members of the league.
The team later moved to Long Island, where it spent eight seasons across three different arenas, reached three ABA Finals and won two championships. Julius Erving became the face of that era, and one of the defining figures in the franchise’s early identity.
The move to the NBA did not come without pain. After the ABA-NBA merger, the Nets had to sell Erving to help cover merger fees and territorial rights fees owed to the Knicks. New Jersey then became the team’s home for 35 total seasons, a stretch that included back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 with Jason Kidd leading the way.
Still, when the franchise relocated to Brooklyn ahead of the 2012-13 season, it was treated like a reset. Former Chief Marketing Officer Brett Yormark also made things tougher for New Jersey lawmakers during the final years in the state, including the team’s two-season stop at the Prudential Center in Newark. Once the Nets played their final game in New Jersey, staff collected the division, conference and NBA championship banners, along with the retired numbers, and moved them to Brooklyn.
The old red, white and blue was replaced by a black-and-white look built for the new market. But after 14 years in Brooklyn, and after two failed big-3 eras, the Nets are rebuilding again and trying to grow their fan base in the shadow of the New York Knicks championship.
Now the franchise is turning back toward the eras that shaped it. The Nets will hold several theme nights to honor different decades of the team’s history, including its ABA roots and its years in New Jersey.
In Other News...
Joe Tsai Revisits The Nets Decisions That Changed How Fans Saw Him
David Rubensteins upcoming book, From the Owners Box, includes a look at Joe Tsais early years as the Nets owner and the choices that quickly shaped how he was viewed around Brooklyn. Among the decisions revisited are the 2021 trade for James Harden and the 2018 trade of Jeremy Lin, two moves that carried basketball consequences but also stirred strong reactions far beyond the box score, particularly among Asian fans who had seen Lin as a meaningful figure for the franchise and the sport.
Tsais response to the criticism is part of the story, too. He eventually opened a Twitter account to speak directly with fans, a notable step for an owner who found himself under a harsher spotlight than expected. The excerpt suggests those early roster calls did more than alter the Nets direction on the court, they also forced Tsai into a more public, more personal relationship with the people watching the team. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Are Finally About To Reveal Their First Real Rotation Clues
The first real look at the 2026-27 Nets is finally on the calendar. Brooklyn announced that Media Day will be held Monday, Sept. 28 at the HSS Training Center, with general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernndez set to speak before camp opens the next day. It will be the teams first opportunity to meet with the media ahead of a season that features a blend of returning players and new additions.
From there, the pace picks up quickly. Training camp is scheduled to run through Oct. 5 before the preseason begins, which means the next stretch should offer the clearest early clues yet about how Fernndez intends to sort through the roster and what the rotation might look like once the games start to matter. For a Nets team still taking shape, the next week and change should say plenty, even before the first exhibition tip. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Face A Michael Porter Jr. Decision They Can't Avoid
Michael Porter Jr. has been on Brooklyns extension clock since July 6, and the Nets have not been able to push the discussion into the finish line. A potential four-year, $234 million deal is there in theory, but Porter is reportedly seeking a $40 million annual salary, a figure Brooklyn has not agreed to as it weighs what his future should look like after a career season as the teams primary offensive option.
For the Nets, the hesitation is only making the next step more complicated. Porter remains an important scorer, but he is also viewed as a popular trade candidate, which means every quiet week in extension talks only sharpens the question around whether Brooklyn wants to pay him as a core piece or use his value elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]