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Nets Rumors: New jerseys to bring back New Jersey Era?

By Aaron Notis

LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1991: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets dribbles the ball against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1991 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Petrovic played for the Nets from 1991-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Drazen Petrovic
LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1991: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets dribbles the ball against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1991 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Petrovic played for the Nets from 1991-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Drazen Petrovic /
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The Brooklyn Nets might be planning some New Jersey-inspired new jerseys.

The Brooklyn Nets have spent the past eight years in Brooklyn trying to figure out their identity as a franchise.

They’ve melded to the Brooklyn way and dived deep into highlighting Brooklyn culture, representing Brooklyn on and off the court.

Now, it appears the Nets are looking back towards their New Jersey roots to bring back a retro jersey. On Sept. 30, tweets surfaced spreading rumors of a new uniform that paid homage to the Drazen Petrovic Nets of the 1990s.

These jerseys would be the first to pay homage to the Nets’ time in New Jersey during their tenure in Brooklyn.

The team has not confirmed the uniforms just yet, but there is mounting evidence to support their existence. For starters, Dick’s Sporting Goods has started selling the Kyrie Irving retro jersey, and it is awesome.

Recently, the Nets (and the Brooklyn Nets Swag Shop) have been selling merchandise from this era — most prominently, a retro jacket that sports this style. There are other more expensive shirts and hoodies that feature this logo.

Then, this photo surfaced of Nike-branded shirts featuring the logo.

It seems more likely than not that these jerseys will be worn during the 2020-2021 season. And I’m super excited for it. The Nets haven’t embraced their New Jersey history during their time in Brooklyn. That’s a state and a people that gave their heart to this organization for 35 years.

Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily wrote back in April that the Nets are looking to revitalize their New Jersey fan base. Owners Joe and Clara Tsai, as well as newly appointed CEO John Abbamondi, think there’s traction to bring back the fans from New Jersey. Especially now, with the team looking like a real contender in the East, it’s time to fill the seats in Barclays. The Tsais see that, and are doing the best they can to fill the arena (if allowed) for the upcoming season.

Back in June, I wrote a piece challenging the Nets to spice up the in-game experience at Barclays Center. They must be listening to me. Dipping into their New Jersey roots is definitely a step in the right direction. The moment the Tsais mix what the Nets had in Jersey with the Brooklyn culture, the Barclays Center will be the premier spot for NBA games. But, for now, we can look forward to these new jerseys during this long offseason. And, wow, they’re cool.