Tag: New Jersey Nets

Report: Former Net Vince Carter elected to 2024 Naismith Basketball HOF

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that former Net Vince Carter has been elected to the 2024 Naismith Basketball HOF.

The Brooklyn Nets are fighting to the last breath for the hope of making the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. While Brooklyn making it to the postseason is unlikely right now, the franchise has a reason to be happy amidst a disappointing season.

On Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that former New Jersey Net Vince Carter was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 class. Charania cited what sources told him given that the official announcement of the 2024 class will be at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four on Saturday.

Carter, the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, came to the Nets in a mid-season trade during the 2003-04 season from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round picks that later became Joey Graham and Renaldo Balkman.

During his time with the Nets, Carter has some of his best years in the NBA as he averaged 23.6 points per game and also helped the franchise get to the playoffs in three straight seasons from 2005 to 2007.

Carter was named an All-Star eight times in his career and three of those appearances happened while he was with the Nets. Carter had also reached an agreement earlier this season with YES Network, television home of the Nets, to call some of the games as a color commentator.

As Brian Lewis of the New York Post wrote back in Dec. 2017, Carter made it known that having his jersey retired by the Nets would be a “dream come true.” When it comes to Carter and the Nets, the only matter that remains is if/when Carter’s jersey will be hanging up in the Barclays Center rafters.

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3 best players in Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets history

Here are Nets Wire’s three greatest players in franchise history.

The Nets have been in the NBA for the past 48 years and in that time, plenty of players have been part of the organization to showcase their specific talents in hopes of winning a championship. Players like Vince Carter, Brook Lopez, and even Kevin Durant have won a Nets uniform over the span of the franchise.

One of the interesting questions that gets asked about every team, especially one that is transitioning out of an era that was dependent on superstars like Durant and Kyrie Irving, is who were the best players that a franchise has seen over its lifetime.

For the purposes of this piece, the three players listed as some of the greatest players in Nets history will be based on a number of factors, mostly their career with the franchise. For example, Durant is arguably the best player that has played for the Nets, but he played just 2.5 seasons with the organization.

Without further ado, here are the three greatest players in Nets history:

Willis Reed, NBA HOFer, former Nets coach and GM, dies at 80

The world lost a great as former Nets head coach and general manager Willis Reed passed away on Tuesday at 80 years old.

NEW YORK — Former New York Knicks legend as well as former Nets head coach and general manager Willis Reed died on Tuesday at the age of 80, according to Don Burke of the New York Post. Reed played 10 seasons in the NBA, all for the New York Knicks.

While with the Knicks, Reed was the catalyst for the franchise winning its only two championships (1970 and 1973) and he won numerous awards in the process. Nicknamed “The Captain”, Reed won the MVP award for the 1969-1970 season and made the All-NBA team five times. Not to mention that he won Rookie of the Year for the 1964-1965 season and was named to the 50th and 75th NBA anniversary teams.

Reed most famous moment is arguably Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals when Reed played despite missing Game 6 with a torn muscle in his thigh. After Reed’s playing career ended with the 1973-1974 season, he came a coach for various teams until the 1988-1989 season when he became head coach of the then-New Jersey Nets.

After two seasons, Reed became the general manager of the Nets and drafted franchise greats like Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson. Reed had his number 19 jersey retired by the New York Knicks and will forever be known as one of the greatest to ever do it.

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Kobe Bryant’s top 100 games: No. 54

Kobe Bryant prevented the New Jersey Nets from making the 2002 NBA Finals competitive with a big game and big clutch shot in Game 3.

After the seven-game war between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference finals, the 2002 NBA Finals seemed anticlimactic.

The Lakers had the New Jersey Nets, the Eastern Conference champs, seriously overmatched, and they jumped to an easy 2-0 series lead.

But in Game 3 in Bergen County, New Jersey showed some fighting signs of life, and L.A. suddenly had to work in order to get another win.

It was one of those games where it had to lean on its dynamic duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to get through the night.

O’Neal had 35 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots while Bryant put up 36 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field, two blocks and four assists.

With 19.1 seconds left and the Lakers clinging to a two-point lead, Bryant converted a tough jumper after being hounded by Jason Kidd, a perennial All-Defensive team selection.

L.A. went up 3-0 with a 106-103 win, and it turned the Nets into flotsam in the Hudson River by taking Game 4 and the series.

O’Neal and Bryant were once again on top of the world with their third straight NBA championship, and it looked like more were on the way.

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Kobe Bryant’s top 100 games: No. 78

Going head-to-head with All-Star Stephon Marbury in 2001, Kobe Bryant delivered a big game and the game-winning shot for the Lakers.

One thing Kobe Bryant lived for was the opportunity to go head-to-head with some of the best players in the NBA, especially those who were guards or wings.

On Feb. 13, 2001, with the Los Angeles Lakers trying to build momentum, they visited the New Jersey Nets, which meant Bryant would go toe-to-toe with Stephon Marbury.

Back then, Marbury was an All-Star point guard who had been named to the All-NBA third team the previous season. In the 2000-01 campaign, he averaged 23.9 points and 7.6 assists per game.

On this night, Marbury lived up to his “Starbury” nickname. He erupted for 50 points while dropping 12 dimes.

But Bryant held him off, scoring 38 points while adding eight rebounds and five assists.

With just over 10 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 110, he delivered the game-winning bucket while getting fouled.

It was another reminder that Bryant had become the best all-around player in basketball.

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On this date: Lakers claim third straight NBA championship

The Lakers reached a lofty stratosphere by winning their third straight NBA championship in 2002 versus the New Jersey Nets.

When Phil Jackson took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 1999, the franchise’s legacy and mystique were intact, but it had gone 11 years since winning the NBA title and eight years since appearing in the championship series.

By instituting his famed triangle offense, bringing the team’s factions together and getting it to believe in its destiny, Jackson drove the Lakers to the championship in 2000, then followed it up with another the following year.

By the 2001-02 season, they looked so invincible that they found themselves bored with the regular season.

But they got past their chief rivals, the Sacramento Kings, in the Western Conference Finals and took a 3-0 lead over the overmatched New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals.

In Game 4, the Lakers reached a rarified air that not even the Showtime teams could attain by claiming their third straight world championship.

The Nets showed fight throughout, but they just didn’t have the firepower to prevent Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and company from taking a 113-107 decision in East Rutherford, N.J.

O’Neal finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds while averaging 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game in the series. He also set a playoff record for most points in a four-game sweep with 145.

It all earned the big fella his third straight Finals MVP award. He joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to achieve that feat.

With three straight titles, the Lakers had laid down the foundation for a dynasty. At the time, it looked like more titles were inevitable, as Bryant was just 23, and although O’Neal was 30, it was presumed that he had many more productive years left in him.

The team would get to five rings in the era, but it wouldn’t happen the way it envisioned back in 2002.

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On this date: Kobe Bryant gives Lakers 3-0 lead in NBA Finals

Kobe Bryant had one of his most underrated performances and clutch shots in Game 3 of the 2002 NBA Finals.

After the Los Angeles Lakers barely got past the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Finals, their NBA Finals matchup with the New Jersey Nets was expected to be a farce.

The Nets were a good team that won 52 games and were centered around the talents of Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd. They even finished first in the league in defensive rating.

But they lacked offensive firepower, and they didn’t exactly have a superstar who could carry them or impose his will on their opponent.

In the first two games of the 2002 Finals, Shaquille O’Neal imposed his will on the Nets, scoring 36 and 40 points, respectively.

The Lakers took a 2-0 lead to Bergen County for Game 3, and for the first time in the series, the Nets showed life and fight.

Despite trailing early, they actually took a modest lead in the fourth quarter, as Kidd went for 30 points and 10 assists.

But after playing a subservient role in the first two contests, Kobe Bryant started to assert himself and prevented New Jersey from getting on the board.

With less than 30 seconds left and L.A. clinging to a two-point lead, Bryant was covered like flypaper by Kidd, who was considered one of the best defenders in basketball.

Guard Kerry Kittles came over to help and try for a steal, but Bryant got away from him and hit a jumper from just inside the free throw line in Kidd’s face to seal a 106-103 win.

Bryant finished with 36 points on 14-of-23 shooting, while O’Neal continued his dominance with 35 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Game 3 turned out to be New Jersey’s last gasp, as the Lakers concluded matters in Game 4 to officially claim their third straight NBA championship.

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Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics playoff history

The Brooklyn Nets will meet the Boston Celtics in the playoffs for the fourth time. See which team has the all-time series edge.

Since the New Jersey Nets’ first NBA season in 1976, the franchise has gone on to qualify for the playoffs in 23 seasons.

Over that same period, the Boston Celtics have made the playoffs an impressive 34 times – yet the first round series in the 2022 NBA playoffs will be just the fourth playoff series between the Nets and Celtics.

The Nets arrive to the first-round series via the NBA’s play-in tournament, but despite being the lower seed, Brooklyn is the betting favorite to topple Jayson Tatum’s second-seeded Celtics.

Here’s a look back at the playoff history between the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics.

Brooklyn Nets jerseys: Nets reveal 2021-22 City Edition jersey

The New Jersey vibes are finally back and it’s long overdue.

The City Edition jerseys have dropped across the league and the Nets are looking to spice things up this time around. The navy blue and red colors of the jerseys are a representation of the team’s New Jersey identity prior to the 2012 move to Brooklyn.

Upon the relocation to Brooklyn, the primary colors for the Nets became black and white. However, this does not mean the identity of the team changed too. This is still that gritty and hard working organization that booked two trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Basketball legend Jason Kidd led the team to those Finals appearances, being the biggest reason why the Nets bought into being that gritty and hard working team.

If this modern day roster can replicate the same accomplishments, it will officially make it 19 years since the Nets made it to the Finals. It looks like they will have some New Jersey swagger to go with it if it does happen.

The Nets will wear their City Edition jerseys for the first time on Wednesday, Nov. 3, against the Hawks.

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Brooklyn’s first five vs. Warriors did something no Nets starting group has since 1999

The Brooklyn Nets were clicking on all cylinders once Sunday, making fairly easy work of the Golden State Warriors.

Oddly enough, Kevin Durant’s two performances against the Golden State Warriors have been among his lowest-scoring games of the 2020-21 season. He scored 22 in Brooklyn’s opening night win, and finished with 20 in the Nets’ trip to California on Saturday. But, in both instances, the Nets have won — most recently by a score of 134-117. Kyrie Irving led the Nets this time around with 23 points and James Harden had 19.

So, how did the Nets manage to put up 134 points when their big three only accounted for 62 of them? With the exception of Noah Vonleh in his three minutes of action, every Net who took the floor scored at least eight points, with Jeff Green leading Saturday’s reserves with 14.

As for Brooklyn’s other two starters, Joe Harris had 15 points and Bruce Brown went off for 18 — making Saturday’ win over the Warriors the first time all five Nets starters scored 15-plus points in a regulation game since April 16, 1999, per ESPN.

The Starting lineup from that game: Stephon Marbury, Kendall Gill, Scott Burrell, Keith Van Horn and Jamie Feick.

This post originally appeared on NetsWire. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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