Back to the Future: Nets return to ABA championship uniform

The Nets will don the famed Stars and Stripes uniform this season, the one they wore the years they won ABA championships, the team announced Thursday.

The fan favorite will be the team’s 2022-23 Classic Edition uniform. The throwback classic debuted 50 years ago in 1972 and worn by the Nets in both 1974 and 1976, the years they won ABA titles with Julius Erving while playing as the New York Nets at the then-new Nassau Coliseum.

“The revival of the Stars and Stripes uniform is exciting for both the longtime supporters of the Nets and an entirely new generation of fans,” said Andrew Karson, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing, Strategy and Solutions at BSE Global, parent company of the Nets and Barclays Center. “This uniform was immensely popular and has become synonymous with one of the greatest periods in Nets history, and we’re looking forward to seeing its return to the hardwood in front of our fans in Brooklyn this season.”

The jersey boasts the red NETS wordmark across the chest and the signature blue stripe with three white stars is flanked by two red stripes down the left side panel. The pattern continues through the shorts, which feature two white stars.

The Stars and Stripes uniform has shown up throughout various moments in pop culture, including being featured on the cover of the NBA Street Vol. 2 video game that was released in 2003. More recently, the uniform was ranked in the Top 10 of ESPN’s all-time best jerseys in NBA history.

Here’s the Nets unveiling video:

The Nets introduced their Stars and Stripes uniforms in February 1972 when the team started playing in Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. Beginning with the team’s run to the ABA championship series that season, this uniform became a symbol of the Nets’ dominance in the ABA’s final years, with Julius Erving winning three MVP awards and the Nets winning championships in 1974 and 1976. The team later revived the Stars and Stripes uniforms and wore them once again from 1983 to 1990. They proved lucky once again in 1984 when the Nets beat the defending champion 76ers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Nets’ 2022-23 Classic Edition uniforms will be available for purchase online at netsstore.com and in person at the Nets’ team store at Barclays Center, Brooklyn Fanatics, beginning this fall.

• Nets unveil ABA-inspired Classic Edition uniform for 2022-23 - Newsday