The 1973âÂÂ74 New York Nets season was the seventh season in the American Basketball Association for the New York Nets basketball franchise, which includes their first season where they played as the New Jersey Americans before moving to Long Island to become the Nets ever since then. This season would also be the season where the team finally acquired small forward Julius Erving in a trade with the Virginia Squires after being the only other team alongside the Squires to showcase genuine interest in obtaining him after the 1971 ABA draft officially ended, despite him being a junior at the time he first signed up to play for the ABA. While the Squires never made it to the ABA Finals with Erving playing for him (which included Erving losing to the Nets while playing with Virginia in the Eastern Division Finals in his rookie season), Dr. J would prove to be the missing piece necessary for them to become one of the best teams in the ABA's final years of existence. With Erving playing alongside some of their other star-caliber players on the roster, the Nets won their first ABA Championship by first beating Dr. J's former team, the Squires, 4âÂÂ1 and then swept the Kentucky Colonels before beating the Utah Stars 4âÂÂ1 in the championship series.
Interestingly, this year's ABA draft would involve four different types of drafts throughout the early 1973 year: a "Special Circumstances Draft" on January 15, a "Senior Draft" on April 25, an "Undergraduate Draft" also on April 25, and a "Supplemental Draft" on May 18, though the Nets joined the Indiana Pacers as one of two teams to avoid using that last draft entirely. Still, the following selections were made in these respective drafts by the Nets.
The "Senior Draft" done in April is often considered the official, main draft period of the 1973 ABA draft by basketball historians.
The "Undergraduate Draft" is considered a continuation of the "Senior Draft" that was done earlier that same day, hence the numbering of the rounds and draft picks here. Also, the Nets joined the Indiana Pacers as one of only two teams to decline participation in the "Supplementary Draft" entirely, meaning there will be no section for that draft with the Nets here.
On September 18, 1973, the Nets opened the ABA vs. NBA exhibition season against the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. Playing in Binghamton, New York, the Nets beat the 76ers 94âÂÂ88. On September 28 the Nets again faced the 76ers, this time in Trenton, New Jersey. The Nets also won this matchup, 118âÂÂ100.
On September 29, in White Plains, New York, the Nets faced the Washington Bullets. Julius Erving scored a game-high 42 points as the Nets won 127âÂÂ121.
On October 2, 17,226 fans showed up at Madison Square Garden to watch the Nets play the New York Knicks. Erving scored 27 points, 12 of them in the third quarter, as the Nets won 97âÂÂ87.
On October 7 the Nets took their 4âÂÂ0 streak against NBA teams into a contest with the Boston Celtics in Uniondale, New York. Erving scored 23 points, but John Havlicek scored 37 for Boston as the Celtics won, 121âÂÂ102.
Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; STL= Steals; REB = Rebounds; ASST = Assists; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points
Eastern Division Semifinals vs. Virginia Squires
Nets win series, 4âÂÂ1
Eastern Division Finals vs Kentucky Colonels
Nets win series, 4âÂÂ0
ABA Finals vs. Utah Stars
Nets win championship series, 4âÂÂ1