A quarter-century of Nets basketball, told through its 25 most impactful players

"Jason Kidd turned a struggling New Jersey team into an Eastern Conference powerhouse in the early 2000s, steering them to back-to-back NBA Finals berths in 2002 and 2003. Since the move to Brooklyn in 2012, the franchise has mixed playoff runs with star-driven experiments, from the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade to the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era, plus a recent rebuilding push with the Flatbush Five."

"Kidd changed everything for the Nets the moment he got there. He took a team going nowhere and elevated it into a Finals contender, setting the tone with his competitiveness, feel for the game and ability to control whatever was happening on the floor. He gave the franchise an identity it hadn't had in years and pushed the group to heights it hasn't reached since. His impact on that era still shapes how people talk about Nets basketball today."

"Durant brought a level of pure talent the Nets had never seen, and at his peak in Brooklyn, he was as unstoppable as any scorer in the league. Even through injuries and the chaos around him, he delivered stretches of basketball that reminded everyone why he's viewed as an all-time great. His performance in the 2021 playoffs became part of franchise lore, and his time in Brooklyn, while wildly complicated, still stands as one of the most electric eras the Nets have had."

Over 25 years the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn, experienced multiple eras, and pursued championships without winning one. Jason Kidd transformed a struggling New Jersey roster into an Eastern Conference powerhouse, leading back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 and giving the franchise a hard-nosed identity. The Brooklyn era involved high-profile, star-driven experiments such as the Paul Pierce–Kevin Garnett trade and the Kevin Durant–Kyrie Irving pairing, producing electrifying scoring and playoff runs amid injuries and chaos. Memorable postseason pushes included Eastern Conference semifinal appearances in 2014 and 2021, followed by rebuilding efforts centered on young talent.

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