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Brooklyn Nets: Thank You Richard Jefferson

By Sean Costello

June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Going out as a champion is something that an athlete can only dream of accomplishing as a kid. Ray Lewis, Michael Strahan, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Russell and “The Admiral” David Robinson are just some of the names who have gone out as a champion, and now Richard Jefferson joins the club.

Jefferson didn’t have quite the career year or final season as some of those aforementioned athletes above did, but he did provide some energy in those old legs of his to a Cleveland Cavalier team during his round in the NBA Finals.  it seemed once he received the start in Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers finally found their footing against the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

Jefferson didn’t have mind-blowing stats, but no one else around him, besides Tristan Thompson was doing the small things to help the King reclaim his throne. It seemed Jefferson’s veteran leadership helped get the bench unit on board for most of the season and for the rest of the series. 

In his final season, Jefferson didn’t provide the Cavaliers with as much as he did during his tenure with the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets teams back in 2002 and 2003, but he provided one thing previously mentioned: leadership.

He was one of the better role players in the league this season and did everything Cleveland asked him to, which was similar to his days in New Jersey. Jefferson was a special player, he provided a team with much more than rebounds, assists and a serving size of points. He went out and played every game with heart and it really showed this season with Cleveland. He wasn’t going out and averaging 22 points like he used to, but one things for sure, he went out and played the 95 Regular Season and Playoff games he played like they were his last.

Jefferson was a vital piece to Cleveland’s comeback from the 3-1 deficit they faced early in the NBA Finals and he helped them grab their first title in franchise history with his key role in the Cavaliers’ game plan. Jefferson didn’t go out there and score a plethora of points, dish out dimes or even dominate the boards but he gave Cleveland something more by allowing them to play small and play stretches where they actually were able to match up with Golden State.

But, after 15 seasons, the University of Arizona product decided to go out on top and do it in style with not only Cleveland’s first championship team but the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. Jefferson will leave the league with career averages of 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The highest per-game scoring average of his career came back in the 2007-2008 season, where he averaged 22.6 points per-game. He spent the 2007-2008 season with the Nets, which was his last of 7 great seasons with New Jersey. His 7 seasons with New Jersey were truly something special and he cemented his legacy as one of the best big men that the Nets franchise has ever seen, and that’s exactly why we’re going to take a look back at one of the truly great Nets players, and one of my personal favorite players to watch as a Nets fan and as a basketball fan.

On my birthday, June 27th, back in 2001, Richard Jefferson, a junior from the University of Arizona was drafted by the Houston Rockets and traded to the New Jersey Nets on that same night. After suffering a 10 point loss to Duke in the Championship game of the 2001 NCAA Tournament, Jefferson was looking to take the NBA by storm and make a name for himself.

In his first season with the then, New Jersey Nets, Jefferson showed great potential. The 13th overall pick sat behind Keith Van Horn and showcased his great defensive skills and all around ability at the small forward position. Following the Net’s loss in 2002 NBA Finals, the Nets decided to trade Van Horn to the Philadelphia 76ers on August 6th 2002. Richard Jefferson from there on was the starter at the Small Forward position for New Jersey. Jefferson blossomed into the star small forward Nets fans remember him as he was rewarded with a six-year contract extension that was worth $78 Million.

After signing the six-year, $78 Million contract extension with the Nets, and only missing 5 games in his first three NBA seasons, Jefferson suffered an injury on December 27th 2004 that kept him out of action until the first round of the playoffs where New Jersey found themselves up against the number 1 seeded Miami Heat, who ended up sweeping and elimination the Nets out of the playoffs. Sadly that wasn’t the only injury that Jefferson experienced during his tenure with the Nets. On January 21, 2007, he missed around six weeks following his decision to have ankle surgery. The Nets, who struggled during the absence of Jefferson, ended the season at the .500 mark, winning 41 games and grabbing the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey went on to pull off the upset and beat the 3rd seeded Toronto Raptors in 6 games and move on to the second round. The Nets’ first round success did not carry over into the second-round as they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.

In Jefferson’s 7th and final season as a member of the Nets, he surged out of the gates, starting the season with averages of 26.9 points,5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. On October 31, 2007, Jefferson suffered his final injury during his tenure with the Nets. Jefferson injured his right wrist after a clutch three-point basket against the Chicago Bulls. By the end of the season the Nets found themselves in 10th place in the East after winning only 34 games and missing the playoffs. Following the 34 win season, the Nets traded Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. Jefferson ended his tenure with the Nets as the second all-time leading scorer.

After missing the playoffs yet again, this time with Milwaukee, Jefferson was traded yet again. He averaged solid numbers in his only season as a Buck, averaging 19.6 points to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Jefferson found himself in San Antonio, after being traded for a package including Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Spurs before being traded for the third time in his career, this time he’d spend a season and a half with the Golden State Warriors.

On July 5th 2013, for the fourth and final time in his 15 season career, Jefferson was traded to the Utah Jazz. A little over a year later, on July 21st, 2014, he became a member of the Dallas Mavericks, before finally signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on August 5th, 2015 and ending his career there.

At the end of the day, Jefferson will be remembered to me and to many other Nets fans as a player who gave us many exciting and fond memories. Jefferson’s high flying and rim rattling dunks are ones that I will remember forever and miss knowing you only get lucky enough to have a player on your team who plays with as much heart as he did once in a blue moon. Whether it be a 42 point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, or a poster dunk against the San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson gave me, as well as other Nets fans memories we will never forget.

Next: Should the Nets Pursue Jordan Clarkson?

Thank You Richard Jefferson for 15 years of exciting grit and grind basketball.