Tag: jayson williams

Retired Nets big man featured in Mark Cuban’s Delonte West update

Mark Cuban is following through with helping Delonte West, and it looks like a former New Jersey Nets center is playing a part.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently picked up Delonte West, one of his former players, after the guard was seen wandering the streets in Dallas. A video of West getting punched and stomped in the street, then yelling nonsensically while in the Prince George County (Maryland) area had surfaced earlier in the year, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, when word got out West was in Cuban’s backyard, the NBA owner made sure to find him, picking the retired guard up at a gas station.

But Cuban’s helped didn’t end that day.

The Mavericks owner shared a picture on Twitter of West Friday afternoon riding a horse:

The individual alongside West may seem like a familiar face to Nets fans. And that’s because it is.

As pointed out by WFAN’s Chris Carrino and The Athletic’s Frank Isola, West was joined by retired New Jersey Nets big man Jayson Williams in the photo.

RELATED: Jamal Crawford praises Mark Cuban for helping Delonte West in Dallas

Ranking the top five centers in Nets history

The Brooklyn Nets have a pair of talented centers in Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan. Does either rank among the franchise’ five best ever?

When the New York Nets joined the NBA after winning the 1976 ABA Finals, centers were anchored to the paint. Now it’s common to see big men pull up from long-range nightly.

Though, that’s not necessarily the case with Brooklyn’s big men. Jarrett Allen can defend centers and power forwards who are able to stretch the floor, but The Fro isn’t pulled from deep — not yet at least. DeAndre Jordan certainly isn’t.

How the two will coexist in Brooklyn is up in the air, given Jordan’s relationship with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and how similar the centers’ games are. But if the Nets go on to win a title with the two superstars in town, one or both centers could earn a spot among the franchise’s best bigs ever.

Having already gone through the Nets’ point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards, Nets Wire determined who are the best five centers in the franchise’s history through the novel coronavirus-induced NBA hiatus.

5. Jayson Williams

Credit: Getty Images
Nets Stats: 8.3 PPG | 8.9 RPG

Williams had a checkered career, and it took time for him to earn a major role in the Nets lineup.

After averaging 13.1 minutes per game in his 75 appearances for New Jersey throughout 1994-95, Williams saw his role off the bench increase the next season. The same thing happened from 1995-96 to 1996-97, earning a starting spot. However, he only played in 41 games.

The 1997-98 season was Williams’ best, earning his one NBA All-Star nod as he averaged 12.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. The Nets also snapped their three-year playoff drought this season.

Ranking the top five point guards in Nets history

Ranking the top five shooting guards in Nets history

Ranking the top five small forwards in Nets history

Ranking the top five power forwards in Nets history

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Today in Nets history: Series against ‘The Last Dance’ Bulls begins

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls started their 1998 NBA Playoffs run on April 24 against the New Jersey Nets.

With the NBA on hiatus and New York continuing its battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, Brooklyn Nets games will not be played for the foreseeable future.

For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.

Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight impressive individual performances and major moments throughout Nets history:

In John Calipari’s second full season with the Nets — which also happened to be his last full season in New Jersey — the team made the 1998 NBA Playoffs as the No. 8 team in the Eastern Conference, snapping the franchise’s three-season playoff drought.

But, being the last seed in the East in 1998 meant the Nets had to square off against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and the rest of the Chicago Bulls right away.

The Nets put up a fight in the first game of the series, forcing overtime after they trailed by 10 through three quarters. Chris Gatling scored 24 points and Sherman Douglas added 16 off the bench. Jayson Williams was all over the glass, finishing with 21 boards — 11 coming on the offensive end.

Still, New Jersey could not hold off Jordan (39 points) and Pippen (24), as the Bulls won the first game of the series 96-93 (full box score).