Top Five Finals Performances in Brooklyn Nets History

With the NBA Finals approaching, we take a look back on some of New Jersey's best performances at the highest stage.

Jan 19, 2005; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd (5) with the ball up the court against the Milwaukee Bucks at Continental Airlines Arena. Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK / Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY Sports

Believe it or not, there was a time when the Nets were at the league's highest stage, competing against the best of the best in the NBA Finals. In their history as an NBA team, Brooklyn has two NBA Finals appearances as the New Jersey Nets.

Unfortunately, the Nets went 0-2 in 2002 and 2003, losing to the Lakers and Spurs, but with the 2024 NBA Finals approaching, it's only right that we look back and appreciate greatness for what it was. Here are the five greatest individual performances from a Net in NBA Finals history:

5. Kenyon Martin: 20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks in Game 4 vs SAS, 2003

In one of the only NBA Finals wins in Nets history, K-Mart showed up down 2-1 in Continental Airlines Arena, outplaying nearly every Spur except Tim Duncan. Martin would hit two clutch free throws with just over a minute remaining to put New Jersey up 73-72, and would hold the lead until the end of the game, winning 77-76.

The All-Star forward also had a defensive masterclass, putting up 3 blocks and a steal to go along with a career-high in boards in the Finals with 13.

Many will give Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd more credit in this win, as he finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, but the two-way nature of Martin's performance, plus getting a double-double, warrants the MVP of that game.

4. Jason Kidd: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists in Game 2 vs SAS, 2003

One of Kidd's passing performances to forget, he took the reigns as the leading scorer on both sides. The Hall-of-Fame point guard came up clutch when it mattered, hitting a mid-range jumper with 1:15 left and then following it shooting 5 of 6 from the line in crunch time, sealing the two-point win.

This would be New Jersey's first Finals win in franchise history, letting the Spurs know they weren't something to look over despite having a 49-33 record. Kidd gave Nets fans hope returning to Continental Airlines Arena for Game 3.

3. Jason Kidd: 30 points, 10 assists, 3 steals in Game 3 vs LAL, 2002

In a game that saw Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal combine for 71 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks, it was once again Kidd who kept them in the game, being the catalyst of the offense. Kidd accumulated 50 of New Jersey's 103 points in a game that ended with a missed three-point shot from #5.

To put up that much of a valiant effort against a team that was a heavy underdog going into the series deserves credit. Kidd kept New Jersey in the game, and people forget that without his clutch three to cut the lead to one with 5.2 seconds remaining, the game wouldn't come down to the last shot.

2. Kenyon Martin: 35 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists vs LAL in Game 4, 2002

Even though the series ended in a sweep, the Nets wouldn't lose the 2002 Finals going down without a fight. In a six-point loss, K-Mart showed up and did the dirty work for New Jersey, grabbing 11 boards which led both sides.

Martin's 35-point performance saw him shoot 53.7% from the field on zero three-point attempts, which would be impressive even in today's game. This would be the end of New Jersey's magical 2001-2002 season, where they went 52-30 and locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

1. Jason Kidd: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals in Game 1 vs LAL, 2002

In the opening game of the Nets' first Finals appearance, their franchise point guard showed, dropping the only triple-double in the franchise's Finals history. A two-way performance, Kidd had a game-high 3 steals in the 99-94 loss.

The passing performance from Kidd needs to be accentuated. He dished out 10 assists while committing just one turnover. It's also worth noting that he grabbed 6 offensive rebounds to give the Nets 6 second-chance points.

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