ABA Throwback throws a punch at NJ fans (2nd NETS Article for RU-N The Observer)
by hulyan on Feb 6, 2012 2:03 PM EST
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ABA Throwback, throws a punch at NJ FANS
by Julian Encarnacion
Let's play Name that Franchise. This team has won 2 championships in the last three years with the 3-time MVP at the helms.
Here's a hint. This superstar is the current face of the league and arguably one of the greatest to play basketball with career averages of 28.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, along with 2.4 steals and 2 blocks a game.
Time's up. The answer is the Nets. It sounds surreal doesn't it? No this isn't something made up or Association Mode in NBA 2k12. Back in the ABA days the Nets with Julius "Dr. J" Erving were one of the best of teams in existence.
All that came to a crashing end on June 17, 1976 when during the NBA-ABA merger the then New York Nets were charged 3.2 million dollars by the NBA as an entry fee and 4.8 million by the Knicks for invading their territorial rights.
This debt of 8 million dollars eventually led to a day of infamy in Nets history. On October 20, 1976 the now New Jersey Nets sold Dr. J to the Philadelphia 76ers for 3 million dollars. Thus creating an urban legend in Nets lore, the Curse of Dr. J.
Fast-forward to the 2011-2012 season, the Nets are in their final season in New Jersey and are celebrating 35 years in the Garden State. The marketing team has produced a commemorative logo for the occasion. The organization is even having "county nights" where season ticketholders from the different NJ counties are honored.
When analyzing the Nets stint in New Jersey, there really isn't much to celebrate. One can make the argument that this franchise is cursed with multiple draft busts and plain bad luck. From 1977 to 2012, the Nets have only made the playoffs 16 times, resulting with only 2 appearances in the Finals, and have an overall record of 1194-1669 (a winning percentage of .417).
Ever since Bruce Ratner purchased the Nets and decided to relocate them to Brooklyn, the franchise has seemed like a team with one foot out the door. The 2008-2009 season signaled the last time the team would wear a uniform with the words "NEW JERSEY" on them. They discontinued those jerseys in favor for the horrendous red ones that simply read "NETS."
Last season as the Nets temporarily moved into the Prudential Center before their permanent relocation to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn the words "New Jersey Basketball" were removed from the floor and now just show up as "Nets Basketball."
As the Nets pay homage to their Jersey roots this season, many fans believed throwback jerseys would be sported during their last year. The possibility of seeing the classic grey uniforms that Jason Kidd famously wore during his tenure, or even the 90's era blues worn by the "Croatian Sensation" Drazen Petrovic enticed Nets fans.
The Nets are wearing throwbacks for five nights this year, but it's not the one many people hoped for. In a strange twist of fate or just rotten luck, 2012 marks the 45th anniversary for the now defunct ABA, so the NBA decided let 10 teams wear jerseys from the ABA days.
The Nets were a perfect choice because of their connection to Dr. J, the ABA's most prominent player of the era, but to no surprise New Jersey comes up short again. The NBA chose the Nets to wear the away version of the jersey, meaning "NEW YORK" will be displayed across the chest of the players. It's an odd decision considering it is probably the last time New Jersey will ever see professional basketball, that they chose the blue aways.
This isn't the first time the Nets have worn old school ABA jerseys. For a few seasons they'd sometimes show up in the home version of the throwbacks. Those had "NETS" on them, but they were also worn during the 2003 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Nets should have elected to wear the home whites. It could have been a perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the Nets of the Erving years, but more importantly the Kidd years as well. Instead seeing New York Nets will just serve as a reminder that Nets are not here to stay and will be leaving at the end of the season.
So here we are Nets fans, forever living in the shadow of New York, wither it be the New York Knicks, Dr. J's New York Nets, or even the eventual Brooklyn Nets.
via p.twimg.com
Follow me on Twitter: @hulyan
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where and what is that sign???
"It's as sweet as it ever was, I'll tell you. Now, hopefully, we started something and we can win some more championships, but we're going to enjoy this one right now. Have a little champagne." --Julius Erving, May 12, 1976, ABA champion Nets locker room.
On the corner of 42nd St and 7th Ave in Times Square
Its a screen so that different advertisements show up. The other side says welcome to Brooklyn
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
Thank you.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
The Nets are done in New Jersey
the NBA is done in New Jersey.
It’s over. This month, the business side of the operation will move to Brooklyn. In two months, barring playoffs, the Nets will play their last game in New Jersey. at the Draft, the Nets will be captioned the Brooklyn Nets.
This is a league wide ABA effort. The Nets played in New York when they were in ABA.
"It's as sweet as it ever was, I'll tell you. Now, hopefully, we started something and we can win some more championships, but we're going to enjoy this one right now. Have a little champagne." --Julius Erving, May 12, 1976, ABA champion Nets locker room.
by Net Income on Feb 6, 2012 7:23 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
The Nets are done in Jersey.
But they are also supposedly commemorating their time there, here in this final season. The uniform patch doesn’t even read “NJ”. It would’ve been nice to see them wear a “New Jersey” uniform once more before they leave.
Dr. J~Super Buck~Draz~JKidd~Deron
What I wouldn't give for it to be '03 again
by NJ4Life on Feb 6, 2012 9:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This is a league wide ABA effort. The Nets played in New York when they were in ABA.
I understand that, I just wished they wore the home whites instead.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
by hulyan on Feb 6, 2012 7:55 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
This is way off topic but...
Do you own that hat? I’ve been looking for one just like it for the LONGEST TIME. Like..no joke.
yeah that's my hat.
got in at the NBA store awhile back.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
Great article
I love the ABA jerseys, but as I said, wish it didn’t say New York…wish they wore the home ones with Nets…
But it is what it is…I’ve gotten over it…at first I was furious, especially when they decided to remove NJ everywhere…was pissed that Ratner bought the team as a vehicle to get his realestate development in Brooklyn…but more pissed that he didn’t care about winning….and the only way (correct me if I’m wrong) he was able to really sell the team to anyone, let alone Proky, was that any prospective owner would want to move to Brooklyn and the sale needed to get done before time ran out…
So now I’m just happy we have an owner that’s willing to spend money (for however long he remains our owner is to be seen) and understand in order for the Nets to get better they needed a new owner and moving to NY was inevitable…
Plus it’s only about 20 minutes from NY Penn Station, so it’s not like they are moving to Idaho or pulling what the Supersonics did and move from Seattle to OKC…No, I won’t be able to keep my season tickets because I won’t be able to get to the arena in time for the start of the game, but at least I’ll still be able to make some games and still be able to watch at home…
Just looking at the bright side…
Winning is everything...Losing is not an option...
Section 4, Row 12...last season at The Rock...
I have to say...
writing Brooklyn Nets was weird for me.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
I'm a huge NJ guy...
but these New York jerseys are the perfect transition between NJ and Brooklyn. I have a feeling the Brooklyn jerseys are going to look very similar. Let’s say big things happen before the trade deadline and we make the playoffs. It would be some nice continuity next season to see similar jerseys.
overall i enjoyed this
article but to nitpick a little, i cant see dwight avg 28+ points.
by num1netsnut on Feb 7, 2012 2:11 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Those numbers are Dr. J's career averages in the ABA.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
no problems here
I loved the jerseys, weither they said New York on them o rNew Jersey they looked amazing!
Swap the shade of blue for the blue that Dwill has on his headband which i think is jay-z’s blue and you already have MUCH better jerseys. One of the things about the nets is that their jerseys have always sucked.
No moisoing way...
…The Dr J. jerseys are bona fide classics, one of the best unis from that era. And judging from the reactions from Monday, many, many fans agree with that assessments.
I'm try to say they should of worn the Home Whites of the Dr. J jerseys.
General Manager of WRNU Rutgers-Newak Radio Station
New Jersey Nets Beat Writer for Rutgers-Newark The Observer
I think that the blue uniform they wore is perhaps one of my fav’s of all time. I like the Petrovic style as well.
I wish we could all just get along and stop being so territorial. NJ and NY are literally in view of each other, crossing a few miles over a river shouldn’t fester up such hatred. Its not like the Nets are going from Seattle to OKC.
The biggest thing is that it reads “NETS!”
"LeBron puts up great numbers, can't close w/o DWade. LeBricked 3 late 3s when shouldve been driving, getting to line. What else new?"
Yet casual basketball fans think he is a God, and would exhaust their entire squads to land him...
fantastic article
as theyve spit on us nj fans time and time again they will be begging us to show up when that building in brooklyn is half empty because they think knicks fans are going to become nets fans
its like thinking yankee fans will change if the dodgers came back to brooklyn
i cant wait for those knicks and nets games when instead of how bad it is when they play at the pru center it will be 95% knicks fans even with dwight thats going to be great for team morale
by mightymosdefinition on Feb 11, 2012 1:21 PM EST reply actions
i don't know about yankee fans changing to dodgers fans...
…but i think mets fans turning into dodgers fans en mass if they move back to Brooklyn is quite feasible.
Though Knicks are now too popular for that to happen
Agreed with a couple of different points in this thread. One, and its been clearly obvious, but management is looking to distance itself from its New Jersey roots in a way that doesn’t look as bad to the media as it does to the Nets fan base. I love my state and am sick of the New York fan base hating on it at every turn. The Devils know how to represent New Jersey; the Nets have been one step out since Jason Kidd left. Its been disgraceful and it shows by the quality of the team that has been on the floor for several years now. Two, its not going to be easy building a fanbase in Brooklyn. They will rely on those hardcore New Jersey Nets fans to be the foundation of the new team, because New York fans are already Knicks fans. There is no need for them to switch allegiance when the Knicks are just fundamentally more exciting than the Nets. I hate to say all of that, but its all true. Its difficult to even watch games right now. Three, just because they are moving to Brooklyn doesn’t mean that they are going to be any good. There are plenty of New York teams overshadowed by their bigger brothers in the market. I.e., Yanks over Mets, Rangers over Buffalo and Long Island, Giants over Jets, etc. I think management believes there will be some revelation in the new community, but in reality, without Dwight this team will have the same difficulties drawing attendance even in the new arena. The whole situation has been bothering me for quite some time as I’ve seen my team become the brunt of jokes.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
one final note. Management did not need to move the Nets out of New Jersey. One only needs to watch highlights of the Nets playoff runs during the early to mid 2000s to see that when a good team was put onto the floor, they were more than capable of building a packed house. They needed better marketing during the season, and they needed a new arena. the Prudential Center provides that. People will say, “but look at the arena now! Its completely empty still!” Well, I say to those people the arena is empty because its not worth paying money to see a team that has booked out of New Jersey for years now. Assemble a team committed to playing in front of its fans and you will get people who come.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
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