Nets vs Golden State Warriors
From the ABA to Brooklyn: A franchise shaped by moves and legends.
The Brooklyn Nets are a professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. They were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey, as the New Jersey Americans, followed by a period spent in Long Island as the New York Nets and later returning to play as the New Jersey Nets. They are a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as an original member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In 2012, the team moved to Brooklyn and were renamed the Brooklyn Nets.
- first_meeting_era
- 1980s (as New Jersey Nets)
- notable_playoff_series
- 2016 NBA Playoffs
- primary_conflict_type
- Western vs. Eastern Conference Powerhouses
- key_warriors_figures
- Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green
- key_nets_figures
- Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden (various eras)
- historical_context
- Post-2010 NBA Expansion Era
Lore & Background
The franchise was established in 1967 as a founding member of the ABA. The team was named the New York Americans but played its first season as the New Jersey Americans due to venue issues. After a playoff game was forfeited due to poor facilities, the team moved to Long Island and changed its name to the New York Nets. The Nets won ABA championships in 1974 and 1976, led by Julius Erving. After the ABA–NBA merger, the team was forced to pay fees to the Knicks and traded Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. The team moved to New Jersey in 1977 and was renamed the New Jersey Nets.
In Their Own Story
The arena hummed with a tension that only a potential Finals preview could generate. On one side, the Warriors moved with fluid precision, passing the ball like water through fingers; on the other, the Nets stood as immovable objects, their stars ready to shatter any rhythm. As the clock wound down in the fourth quarter, the air grew thick with anticipation. A drive by a Brooklyn guard drew two defenders, but the pass found an open shooter who rose above the rim, silencing the crowd for a heartbeat before the net snapped back into place—a single moment defining a modern rivalry.
Reader's Guide
The Nets have never met the Golden State Warriors in the NBA playoffs. The 2016 NBA Playoffs did not include a Nets-Warriors series.
Did You Know?
- The Nets were originally named the New York Americans but played as the New Jersey Americans in their first season.
- The team's name 'Nets' was chosen because it rhymes with the New York Mets and New York Jets.
- Julius Erving, known as 'Dr. J', led the Nets to two ABA championships.
- The Nets were forced to pay a $4.8 million 'invasion fee' to the Knicks to join the NBA.
More in Great Rivalries
Elsewhere in the Brooklyn Nets universe
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