Every NBA team's best iteration ever

Every NBA team’s best iteration ever

PORTLAND, OR - 1987: Head Coach Pat Riley leads Magic Johnson #32, Byron Scott #4, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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UNIONDALE, NY – 1974: Julius Erving #32 of the New York Nets poses for a photo circa 1974 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1974 NBAE (Photo by Jim Cummins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Brooklyn Nets: 1973-74

Before becoming the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, the franchise was the New Jersey Nets, but before that, several decades ago, they were the New York Nets of the ABA. The Nets were one of the league’s best franchises, appearing in the Finals three times in the ABA’s last six seasons. Led by a young and high-flying forward named Julius Erving, the Nets would win two championships, in 1974 and 1976, with the 1974 team being the best of the two.

The young Julius Erving was truly something else, leading the team in every major statistical category apart from rebounds — and even then, he was still second on the team by less than one board per game. For the year, he averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and more than 2 steals and blocks per game each. At the end of the year, Erving was awarded the first of three consecutive ABA MVPs. Supporting Erving was the rookie All-Star Larry Kenon at forward, who would go on to star for the San Antonio Spurs in both the ABA and the NBA. At center was three-time All Star Billy Paultz who held down the paint for the team, helping the Nets lead the league in defense.

While some may scoff at this team’s achievements since they were in the ABA — most of the team’s principals went on to very successful NBA careers following the 1976 folding of the league. In addition to Erving and Kenon, Paultz, John Roche, Brian Taylor, and John Williamson were all able to carve out a space for themselves in the post-merger NBA. While the Nets have found some success in the NBA, even making the Finals two consecutive years in the early 2000s, no version of the Nets since the merger has been able to match the success of these ABA teams that dominated the league throughout the mid-70s.

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