In July 2013, after a number of years bouncing around the league, Shaun Livingston signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He came in under the radar following what would go down as the worst trade in Nets history (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, blah blah). In Brooklyn, opportunity and preparation met for Livingston and his game clicked – just like the old days.
Although Garnett, Pierce, and company famously under-performed that season, Livingston was a diamond in the rough. With his feline dexterity and cool demeanor, he would win the praise of then coach Jason Kidd. Livingston has previously expressed the notion that his success in Brooklyn was due to Kidd more so than the Nets organization.
However way you look at it, his revival occurred within the walls of Barclay’s Center. Livingston was able to work his way into the starting lineup mid-season and went on to earn career highs in games started, steals per game, and points scored in a season. He also averaged 8.3 points per game which has been the second best points-per-game total of his career up till this point.
For Shaun Livingston, his one year stint with the Nets turned out to be a renaissance for his then-waning career. Through his effort he reinvented his game and garnered a $16 million dollar contract from the Golden State Warriors. The contract was the biggest of his career!