Jason Kidd is part of the Nets’ top 50 players list in a franchise ranking published by the Asbury Park Press. The nod puts his seven seasons in New Jersey alongside the franchise’s longer arc, from the New Jersey Americans in 1967 to the Brooklyn Nets of today.
That ranking matters because Kidd’s Nets run was not a brief peak. He arrived in New Jersey in 2001 in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns, then turned a lottery team into an Eastern Conference contender.
Jason Kidd In New Jersey
Kidd’s case rests on production and results. He spent seven seasons with the Nets and left with five All-Star selections, six All-Defensive Team honors and three All-NBA selections. New Jersey reached back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 under his leadership, and those remain the only Finals trips in franchise history.
The numbers give the ranking its shape. A player can be remembered for one hot stretch; Kidd’s résumé stretches across individual honors and team success, which is why he belongs in any serious discussion of Nets history.
Julius Erving And The ABA
Julius Erving sits in the same conversation from a different era. He spent three seasons with the New York Nets, won three ABA MVP awards, made three All-Star appearances and earned three All-ABA selections. He also led the franchise to two ABA championships.
That comparison is the friction in the franchise story. The Nets have history in the ABA and the NBA, but no NBA championship, even though Erving delivered two ABA championships and Kidd delivered two NBA Finals runs. The ranking forces those eras into the same frame instead of treating them as separate chapters.
The Nets Since 1967
The franchise was founded in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans, then moved through the New York Nets, New Jersey Nets and Brooklyn Nets names. Across 59 years, the list gives readers a fixed way to judge which players changed the franchise most, not just which ones produced the loudest seasons.
For Kidd, the place is secure in the top 50. For readers, the open question is the rest of the ordering inside the full list, which is where the historical debate really starts.
