Brooklyn Nets: History of Nets in NBA All-Star Game
By Phil Watson
2007: Vince Carter, Jason Kidd
For just the third time in franchise history, the New Jersey Nets nabbed two All-Star selections in 2007, as both Vince Carter and Jason Kidd were named reserves for the Eastern Conference.
It was Kidd’s fourth selection as an All-Star as a Net, but his first since 2004, while it was the third in a row for Carter.
Kidd came into the break averaging 14.3 points, 8.7 assists, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 36.9 minutes per game, having played in 52 games and shooting 43.2 percent overall and 35.5 percent on 4.2 3-point attempts a game.
Carter had appeared in all 54 games for New Jersey before the break, putting up 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 37.9 minutes a night while shooting 45.7 percent overall and 35.3 percent on 5.4 deep attempts a game.
But the Nets were struggling, entering the break 25-29 and two games out of a playoff spot despite being just 4½ games behind the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors.
Only Carter suited up for the 2007 All-Star Game, the first held in a non-NBA city. Kidd sat out the game in Las Vegas with a sore back and was replaced on the roster by future Net Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks.
In 16 minutes, Carter scored seven points with two assists and a rebound, going 3-for-7 from the floor and missing his only 3-pointer.
The East was blown out by the West 153-132 with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers earning MVP honors with 31 points, six assists, six steals and five boards.
The Nets recovered after the break to go 16-12 and grabbed the No. 6 seed in the East, taking down the third-seeded Raptors in six games in the first round before being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals in six games by the No. 2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
2007 marked the last of Carter’s eight All-Star appearances. He was traded by the Nets along with Ryan Anderson in June 2009 to the Orlando Magic for Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.
His journey was far from finished, however. Carter was traded to the Phoenix Suns in December 2010 and was an amnesty-clause casualty of the Suns in December 2011 before signing with the Dallas Mavericks.
In July 2014, he moved to the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent and signed in July 2017 with the Sacramento Kings. Last August, he signed for his 21st NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he is still a rotation regular at age 42.