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Wait… The Brooklyn Nets Almost Became the Swamp Dragons?

By Jeremy Goldstein

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 24: A general view of the New Jersey Nets logo on the center court during a game between the New Jersey Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Continental Airlines Arena on February 24, 1999 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Trail Blazers won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 24: A general view of the New Jersey Nets logo on the center court during a game between the New Jersey Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Continental Airlines Arena on February 24, 1999 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Trail Blazers won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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The recent episode from “Game of Zones” series brings attention to the Brooklyn Nets near name change to the “Swamp Dragons.” Let’s take a deeper look.

The Brooklyn Nets franchise always manage themselves in the spotlight for unusual reasons. Just since their relocation to the borough back in 2012, the team has found themselves on the butt of many a joke. From the infamous Paul Pierce–Kevin Garnett trade, cupgate, general ineptitude, and “so many wings.”

If you recognize the last one, perhaps you’re a fan of the Bleacher Report hit series “Game of Zones.” Creators Craig and Adam Malamut sprinkled another Nets twist into the recently released a third episode of the final series — re-earthing the myth of the “Swamp Dragons.”

The episode amassed a million views on YouTube in under 36 hours and at the time of writing, sits #11 on trending on the platform, so quite a few (including myself) were probably rather confused by the reference. ESPN’s Zach Lowe probably wasn’t.

Lowe masterfully covered the oral history of the story back in 2016 for ESPN, found here. So what’s the deal with the Swamp Dragons, anyway? In 1994, faltering attendance and a feared lack of relevance led the New Jersey Nets to seek a change in branding. In Lowe’s piece, former Nets President outlined the origin of the idea.

"“The Dragon came up right away, but we needed something to identify it locally. I was sitting in my office with Jim Lampariello, our vice president, and I just said, ‘Every time I look out the window here, I see this swamp. And every time I think of swamps, I think of swamp rats. What about that?’He just said, “I don’t think that’s very nice. What about Swamp Dragons?” I loved it. Dragons are mythical, and fun.”"

The proposed logo would’ve been the icing on the cake of an NBA custom team come-to-life.

All that was remaining was a unanimous vote from the owners around the league. Amazingly, the Nets were able to convince 26 of the 27 owners around the league that a proposed name.

The only dissenter? In a shocking twist, Nets co-owner David Gernstein cast a stunning “no.” The franchise was co-owned by seven owners at the time, nicknamed “The Secaucus Seven,” who “rotated voting duties on the league’s Board of Governors.”

The Swamp Dragons were not to be, and the team opted for a more modest jersey/logo change in 1997 instead — most importantly, they kept the “Nets” name (originally meant to complement the “Mets” and “Jets).

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The Malamut brothers took creative liberty by incorporating the Swamp Dragons into their recent episode. If you are a basketball fan and have not checked out the show, it’s a must-watch. Plus, catch Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in starring roles. Long live the Nets getting national exposure!