The Brooklyn Nets once had Julius Erving under contract when they were known as the Long Island Nets. This was during their time as a powerhouse in the American Basketball Association (ABA). When the organization joined the NBA, it decided to sell. Julius Erving’s contract with the Philadelphia 76ers was worth $3 million.
Glory in the ABA
During their ABA days, the Nets were a force. Behind the brilliance of Dr. J, they captured two ABA championships (1974 and 1976) and were among the league’s marquee franchises. Erving’s dominance not only brought wins but also made the Nets a cultural staple, elevating their brand as the ABA prepared to merge with the NBA.
The Dr. J Sale and Its Fallout
However, when the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, the Nets found themselves strapped for cash. Faced with hefty fees to join the league and a territorial payment to the New York Knicks, the franchise made what would become a historically painful move: selling Erving’s contract to the Philadelphia 76ers for $3 million.
In that single moment, the Nets’ future shifted. Philadelphia went on to win an NBA championship with Erving, while the Nets entered a decades-long struggle to find sustained success.
NBA Years of Struggle
Since joining the NBA, the Nets have only managed to reach the Finals twice—back-to-back in 2002 and 2003 under the leadership of Jason Kidd. While those years gave fans a glimpse of what could have been, the team fell short both times, losing to the Lakers and Spurs.
Beyond that brief era, the Nets have been defined more by failed experiments, bad trades, and injury-plagued stars. From the infamous Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade that mortgaged the team’s future to the more recent superteam attempt with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the franchise always seems one step away from glory—but never quite there.
A Franchise Still Searching
Decades removed from their ABA dominance, the Nets continue to chase the identity they lost with Dr. J. While they’ve had flashes of competitiveness, the shadow of that decision lingers like a curse. Until the team finds a way to break through and secure its first NBA championship, the question will always remain: Did selling Julius Erving doom the Nets forever?
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