How did the Nets almost became the Swamp Dragons

In an attempt to gain some relevance in the 1990s, the Nets almost did something drastic.

© Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

While the Nets were still in New Jersey in the 1990s, the Jersey Meadowlands was not a particularly large market, especially compared to their rivals across the river in New York City. 

At the time, the Nets were used as the punching bag of the league, allowing the faces of the NBA to put up massive performances against them every time they played.

In an attempt to both garner a larger audience, and simply achieve some sort of relevance, an idea about rebranding was proposed. The Nets would become the Swamp Dragons.

Dissent from Above

Then Nets President Jon Spoelstra said that the commissioner at the time, David Stern, hated the idea from the start.

"David told me, 'This is the stupidest fu*king idea I've ever heard,'" said Spoelstra.

The New Jersey Swamp Dragons pic.twitter.com/rrNf64DdKA

— Swamp Dragons (@Netswamp) January 25, 2023

When the idea was proposed, all 7 of the Nets owners at the time voted yes. The league spent $500,000 to protect the name and any artwork or other such designs. However, when the Board of Govenor’s vote came around, the name was not approved because of 1 vote.

"David called me screaming, 'What the fu*k is going on?'" Spoelstra continued. "I asked what he was screaming about. He told me the vote came in 26-1 in our favor. 'Well, that's terrific. What's the problem?' He told me, 'No, that isn't terrific because the one dissenting team was you - the Nets.'"

A different rebranding

David Gerstein, one of the 7 Nets owners, whose duty it was to vote that day, decided against the drastic change. Instead both a rebrand and rebuild commenced, culminating with a Finals appearance in the early 2000s, before finally moving to Brooklyn, as the Nets we now know and love.

In the end, the Swamp Dragons remained a quirky chapter in Nets history, a story of a daring rebrand that narrowly missed the mark. While the name never materialized, it's a testament to how close the franchise came to taking a very different path before finding its footing in Brooklyn.

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