Former Brooklyn Nets general manager Rod Thorn looked back on his days with the team — especially the time when they were legitimate title contenders. According to him, when power forward Kenyon Martin left, the team was “never the same.”
Nets reporter Tom Dowd asked what Thorn thinks of Martin — the Nets' star forward in the early 2000s.
“Heart. We never were the same after Kenyon left. We never replaced him while I was there. Tremendous heart, gave it all, run the court, was great playing with Jason. A little undersized for Tim Duncan, but did a great job for us, loved it.”
To recall, Kenyon Martin was the Nets' first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. He made an immediate impact, making the NBA All-Rookie First team. Martin developed quickly, especially when Thorn brought in point guard Jason Kidd in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns in 2002.
The Kidd-Martin duo worked to perfection. The Nets made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Though they were ousted by the Los Angeles Lakers in four games, it nonetheless boosted the franchise's confidence that they did the correct roster moves. In the same season, Thorn was crowned Executive of the Year.
The Nets made another trip to the NBA Finals the following season. This time, they were booted out by the San Antonio Spurs in six games. The 2003-04 season would be Martin's last year with the Nets before being traded to the Denver Nuggets.
It was a short yet sweet partnership. It had to end after just four seasons. But boy did it leave great memories.
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