According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, the Brooklyn Nets have the worst team name in the entire NBA. The worst. Yes, worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Charlotte Bobcats and even the Orlando Magic.
Lowe does credit the franchise for paying much attention to the cosmetics that make the franchise among the hippest in the NBA, as well as their geographical advantage, but notes that the name doesn't inspire or aspire to the same hipness that the team conveys. They're named for the "assemblage of string that hangs lifelessly below the rim," he writes.
He credits the Nets for having the best intentions in their switch from the New Jersey Americans to the Nets, seeing as the team was trying to align itself with the New York Mets and New York Jets, but, well, hindsight is always 20/20 and, you probably couldn't pay a franchise these days to make the switch to align itself with the Mets and Jets (note: I say this as a Mets/Jets supporter; it's true, right?).
The "Nets" name has some residual cool, based mostly upon potent images of Jason Kidd fast breaks and an Afroed young Dr. J doing crazy stuff in those classic red-white-and-blue jerseys. But the Doctor retired a long time ago, and the interim has mostly featured sad failure — plus a very serious move in the mid-1990s to change the name to Swamp Dragons, a bid that drew opposition from local political elites sensitive to Joisey's image as a disgusting swamp.
He goes on the conclude that the Nets should make a strong consideration to change the team's name now, while support in Brooklyn has yet to reach its maximum level, but along with a change in the team name might also bring a change in the mascot.
I mean, if you, Zach Lowe, want to be the one to tell the BrooklynKnight he's out of a job, by all means.
Before Nets fans get heated about this list, remember that it is completely, 100 percent subjective. There's no quantifiable evidence to suggest that the Nets have the worst team name in the NBA. It's simply one man's opinion, in the dog days of summer, about a team's name, that has nothing to do with the team's performance on the basketball court.
- The Definitive Guide to NBA Team Names, Part 1 - Zach Lowe - Grantland