The Best of Barclays and Before
From a Jersey dynasty before the merger to a big three in the heart of Brooklyn, the Nets have seen some of the game and The Hobby’s biggest names take to the floor in their colors. From Dr. J to the Beard and J-Kidd to KD, the story of the Nets is full of big names.
Champions, contenders, and the stars under the bright lights of Barclays Center, the Nets offer collectors an array of options when it comes to collecting the franchise.
Nets Mount Rushmore
A graceful superstar, an All-World floor general, a franchise stalwart, and a ferocious dunker make the Mount Rushmore of the Nets one worth checking out. All-time games played and rebounding leader Buck Williams is a deserved honorable mention here as well.
1972 Topps Basketball #195 Julius Erving RC
Player Accomplishments
• 1981 NBA MVP
• 1983 NBA Champion
• 11x NBA All-Star
Card Info
• Classic, stylish RC featuring Dr. J during his time playing in Norfolk with the Virginia Squires has sold for as much as $57,600
Player Impact
• The Nets’ first superstar, won the last three ABA MVP Awards before the leagues merged
2003 Topps Chrome Basketball #5 Jason Kidd Gold Refractor /99
Player Accomplishments
• 2011 NBA Champion
• 10x NBA All-Star
• 1995 Rookie of the Year
Card Info
• Stunning gold variant showcasing Kidd’s time with the Nets
Player Impact
• One of the game’s great assist men, Kidd carried the Nets through the franchise’s most successful NBA era
2008 Topps Chrome Basketball #190 Brook Lopez RC X-Fractor /288
Player Accomplishments
• 2021 NBA Champion
• 2013 NBA All-Star
• Nets’ All-Time Leading Scorer
Card Info
• Stylish X-Fractor variant of Lopez’s RC in New Jersey
Player Impact
• A longtime servant and fan favorite, Lopez leads the Nets in All-Time scoring and blocks
1998 Topps Chrome Basketball #199 Vince Carter RC Refractor
Player Accomplishments
• 8x NBA All-Star
• 2x All-NBA
• 200 Slam Dunk COntest Champion
Card Info
• Carter RC has sold for as much as $24,400
Player Impact
• A massive trade acquisition, Carter electrified New Jersey while going to back-to-back All-Star games in his first two seasons in town
Collecting Dr. J
No one in his time played above the rim like Dr. J. An athlete of epic talent who’s reached almost mythical status, Erving could fly and glide. There may have never been a player so smooth as Julius.
A top 20 all-time player on the floor and a huge piece of the vintage hardwood Hobby, Erving is a great choice to center a vintage Nets’ collection around.
Thankfully for Nets collectors, there are a variety of vintage offerings from his time in New Jersey, when he was dominating the ABA on the way to two titles and three MVPs in a three-year span. This 1975 card features a player image that shows Dr. J’s incredible ability to hang in the air.
In addition to an array of solo cards, this historic triple card featuring Dr. J alongside rookie rivals Larry Bird and Magic Johnson has become one of the best Topps cards in the basketball Hobby, selling for as much as $840,000.
A New Century for the Nets
After making the playoffs only once in seven years, the Nets entered the NBA elite in the early 21st century. In 2001/02, the team completed a remarkable turnaround. Coming off a 26-win season, the Nets doubled their tally, and the 52-win, top-seeded group rolled through the Eastern Conference to the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.
Led by newly acquired point guard Jason Kidd, the Nets lost to Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers, but the season remains the best in the history of the Nets since the merger.
In addition to Kidd, the Nets were led by former top pick Kenyon Martin and Rookie of the Year runner-up Richard Jefferson. Both can be found in Topps Chrome releases of the time.
The team would get back to the Finals the very next season, losing in six to the Spurs. All told, Kidd’s Nets would win the Atlantic division four times in a five-year span.
In December of 2004, the Nets landed All-Star Vince Carter from Toronto, quickly making the legendary dunker public enemy number one for basketball fans north of the border. Carter made two All-Star teams with the Nets, and one of his shining moments with the franchise came in his first game back in Toronto, where he scored 39 points in a Nets win.
In 2006, he repeated the feat, putting up 42 on his old stomping grounds, including a last-second three-pointer to grab a one-point win. An overtime alley-oop dunk in 2008 would give the Nets another win over division rival Toronto.
Carter’s most valuable Topps cards come from his time with the Raptors, but there are some great options from his stay in New Jersey, including this poster of a card showing Vince throwing down a trademark dunk.
Franchise Leader
While the team success of the first half of the 2000s would prove tough to replicate, Brook Lopez emerged as a fan favorite and dominant force in the paint while the team transitioned from New Jersey to its new home in Brooklyn.
Lopez played nine seasons for the franchise and remains the all-time leader in points and blocks. He’s second to ’80s star Buck Williams in games played, and both players are must-have additions to any Nets collection.
A Big Three in Brooklyn
In 2020, Brooklyn formed a formidable trio, acquiring Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. The massive moves put Brooklyn center stage in the NBA universe, lifting the franchise to immediate contender status.
Injuries and circumstance prevented these three future Hall of Famers from reaching the mountaintop, but the Big Three certainly provided big moments and memories for Nets fans.
Capturing History Your Way
As Brooklyn sets about building its next contender, collectors can take advantage of the history of star power, legendary athletes, and Hall of Fame players that makes up the story of the Nets.
