From the days of the New Jersey Americans and New York Nets in the ABA to the New Jersey and Brooklyn Nets in the NBA, this franchise had plenty of legends wear the uniform. When you hear the Nets, you think of players like Julius Erving and Jason Kidd. But there are plenty of greats who did not spend much time on the team and have been forgotten.
Basically, the forgotten Nets.
Fans are hoping that the future is bright in Brooklyn. They were able to sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency prior to the 2019-2020 season. The Nets are hoping that these signings work out better than the trade did that brought Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to town.
When reading through the information below, it will be hard to believe that these players were Nets at one time or another. Here are five players you might have forgotten played for the franchise.
5. Mel Daniels
Daniels burst onto the scene as a rookie with the Minnesota Muskies before joining the Indiana Pacers. He won two MVP awards in the ABA and led the Pacers to three titles. Over his first three years in the league, Daniels was the leader in rebounding three times.
In 1974, Daniels joined the Memphis Sounds and spent one season there before opting to go overseas. Daniels played in Italy for one season before returning to America. This is when the New York Nets of the NBA signed the former MVP to a deal. This did not work out like the Nets were hoping.
At 32 years old, Daniels had suffered back injuries prior to signing his deal with the Nets. He played just 11 games with the Nets and averaged 3.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He played 11.5 minutes per game during his tenure. Daniels is one of the top players in ABA history, but his time with the Nets was as big of a waste as it could have been.
4. Dikembe Mutombo
Mutombo averaged a double-double over the first 11 years of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, and Philadelphia 76ers. He led the league in rebounding twice and blocked shots three times. The 7'2 Mutombo quickly made a name for himself as one of the league's top rim protectors.
This is what attracted the Nets to Mutombo prior to the 2002 season. After making a run to the NBA Finals in 2001-2002, the Nets were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal was named Finals' MVP after averaging 36 points and 12 rebounds. The Nets knew they needed a big man to compete. They sent Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch to Philadelphia in return for Mutombo.
Mutombo played in 24 regular season games averaging 5.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. The big, defensive anchor blocked 1.5 shots per game. Mutombo missed time early with a torn ligament in his wrist. In the playoffs, he came off the bench and averaged just 1.8 points and 2.7 rebounds as the Nets made their second straight run to the Finals. In October 2003, the Nets bought out Mutombo's contract and he went on to sign with the New York Knicks.
3. Alonzo Mourning
Mourning averaged over 21 points in his first three seasons in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets. He then was traded to the Miami Heat because Charlotte could not meet his financial demands. His star status continued in Miami where he averaged double-digit points for the next seven years and led the league in blocks twice.
In 2002, Mourning was forced to miss the season while he was dealing with kidney disease. In July of 2003, the Nets gave the former Defensive Player of the Year a four-year, $22.6 million deal. The Nets were coming off two straight NBA Finals' appearances and thought that Mourning could help them reach a third. This was not the case.
Early in the 2003-2004 season, Mourning averaged eight points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He announced his retirement after just 12 games before undergoing transplant surgery. Mourning returned to the team for the start of the 2004-2005 season. After an unimpressive 18 game run, the Nets dealt Mourning to the Toronto Raptors along with Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and first round picks in 2005 and 2006. They received Vince Carter in return.
2. Tiny Archibald
Archibald was a scoring machine for the Cincinnati Royals and Kansas City Kings early in his career. He averaged 28.2 points per game in his second season and led the NBA in scoring with 34 points per game in year three. He would also lead the league with 11.4 assists per contest.
The Nets at the time were thriving in the ABA. In 1976, they traded Brian Taylor, Jim Eakins, and two first round picks to the Kings for Archibald. This move was made to create a dynamic duo of Archibald and Julius Erving. Prior to the season, the Nets were ordered to pay $3.2 million to the NBA and $48 million to the New York Knicks over 10 years. The Nets offered Erving to the Knicks if they would waive the first payment. The Knicks refused and Erving was later sold to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nets got off to a tough start during the 1976-1977 season. Archibald averaged 20.5 points in 34 games before tearing his ACL. In September 1977, the Nets traded Archibald to the Buffalo Braves. He did not play a game for the Braves as he ruptured his Achilles in the preseason. They would trade him to the Boston Celtics where he would be a three-time All-Star and win an NBA Championship.
1. Bob McAdoo
McAdoo was an immediate success for the Braves in the 70's. Over a stretch of three seasons from 1973-1976, McAdoo averaged 30.6, 34.5, and 31.1 points per game. The NBA MVP moved around a lot during his career. In 1980, he would make his way through New Jersey with the Nets.
As a member of the Detroit Pistons, McAdoo missed time with stomach and foot injuries. He filed a grievance against the team claiming that they would not play him even when healthy. Two days after McAdoo was waived by the Pistons, he was signed by the Nets. McAdoo would play 10 games for the Nets and averaged 9.3 points in 15.3 minutes per game.
The Nets were unable to come to an agreement with McAdoo on a new contract. This forced McAdoo to hold out and not play for the Nets. In late December, the team sent McAdoo to the Los Angeles Lakers for a second round pick in 1983 and cash considerations. The former Rookie of the Year and league MVP could not stick in New Jersey. Because he played just 10 games, McAdoo is very forgettable as a member of the Nets' franchise.
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