[Venting Thread] Being a fan of this franchise is humiliating.

[MrDollarBills]

Seriously, I've been thinking about it and I can probably count on one hand how many times this team has brought me actual joy, and that was 20+ years ago when Kidd came here and took us to the finals, and the Vince Carter days where games were fun and exciting. I'll also count that year we made the playoffs with DLo, Caris, Jarrett, Joe, RHJ and Spencer. There were ups and downs but we had fun rooting for those guys and Kenny's development of them.

Everything other than that has been one disaster or humiliation after another.

12-70. The lowest point ever. Fans who toiled and stuck with the team through that to this day have never been rewarded for their loyalty to the franchise.

The Deron Williams years. Absolute misery, sh*t coaching, and guys who didn't want to be here, on top of Billy King executing two of the worst trades in NBA history in back to back years.

We had a brief respite the one year we made the playoffs with the young guys. That all then led into the hell of KD and Kyrie coming here and just setting fire to everything. In hindsight, the day these two ass holes signed here was the second worst day in the history of this franchise outside of June 7th, 1993. We're now in cap hell, Houston owns all of our picks, and the end result of the KD trade most likely won't go in our favor either. We're probably screwed long term...does anyone have faith in Ben? Not me.

It's been nothing but false hopes, and failure after failure after failure.

We have literally no fanbase outside of the diehards from Jersey and adoptees from Brooklyn. Rival fans easily overtake us during home games. Also, any hopes of building the fanbase are completely dead as the dysfunction of the KD/Kyrie era will probably turn younger fans away, and the KD/Kyrie stans will disappear once KD and Kyrie leave (which isn't a bad thing, I hate fans of both players).

The franchise is being destroyed across social media by other fanbases and there's literally nothing we can say to defend this piece of sh*t operation any longer. We are a poorly run joke. Doesn't matter who owns it, or who the GM is, the same sh*t results happen time and time again.

The books that will be written about this period of Nets basketball will probably ensure that no one worth a damn ever steps foot near here for a generation.

This KD/Kyrie nonsense has all but killed what remaining love I have for this franchise, and has probably killed the appeal of the Nets to fans and players alike.

[NetsWorld]

Seriously, I've been thinking about it and I can probably count on one hand how many times this team has brought me actual joy, and that was 20+ years ago when Kidd came here and took us to the finals, and the Vince Carter days where games were fun and exciting. I'll also count that year we made the playoffs with DLo, Caris, Jarrett, Joe, RHJ and Spencer. There were ups and downs but we had fun rooting for those guys and Kenny's development of them.

Everything other than that has been one disaster or humiliation after another.

12-70. The lowest point ever. Fans who toiled and stuck with the team through that to this day have never been rewarded for their loyalty to the franchise.

The Deron Williams years. Absolute misery, sh*t coaching, and guys who didn't want to be here, on top of Billy King executing two of the worst trades in NBA history in back to back years.

We had a brief respite the one year we made the playoffs with the young guys. That all then led into the hell of KD and Kyrie coming here and just setting fire to everything. In hindsight, the day these two ass holes signed here was the second worst day in the history of this franchise outside of June 7th, 1993. We're now in cap hell, Houston owns all of our picks, and the end result of the KD trade most likely won't go in our favor either. We're probably screwed long term...does anyone have faith in Ben? Not me.

It's been nothing but false hopes, and failure after failure after failure.

We have literally no fanbase outside of the diehards from Jersey and adoptees from Brooklyn. Rival fans easily overtake us during home games. Also, any hopes of building the fanbase are completely dead as the dysfunction of the KD/Kyrie era will probably turn younger fans away, and the KD/Kyrie stans will disappear once KD and Kyrie leave (which isn't a bad thing, I hate fans of both players).

The franchise is being destroyed across social media by other fanbases and there's literally nothing we can say to defend this piece of sh*t operation any longer. We are a poorly run joke. Doesn't matter who owns it, or who the GM is, the same sh*t results happen time and time again.

The books that will be written about this period of Nets basketball will probably ensure that no one worth a damn ever steps foot near here for a generation.

This KD/Kyrie nonsense has all but killed what remaining love I have for this franchise, and has probably killed the appeal of the Nets to fans and players alike.

I'll follow up with I myself express very similar sentiments but I can't give up my fandom; the one time I gave up on rooting for this team was for a political situation which occurred in 2014 where Mikhail Prokhorov was totally for the Nets organization supporting the IDF soldiers which massacred 3000 Gazan women and children (I don't care, I will speak my mind about it) and at that point decided to root for the Thunder. I was extremely pissed and disappointed that the Nets organization took the Israeli side and completely disregarded those innocent women and children like that and had a salute and commemoration towards that criminal regime. After seeing ownership change hands and the Nets finally get their hands on two huge name free agents, it was enough for me to gravitate back and I was willing to let go of what transpired in 2014.

[Karate Diop]

We're a zero luck franchise... Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and then somehow go "wronger"

I had to stop watching at points last season... First time I've ever done that, and I lived through the 12-70, Bobby Simmons / Stephen Graham / Petro / Farmar era with all of you...

[JoseRizal]

Hang on there MDB. As a fan, I share your frustration. I've been a Nets fan since the JKidd days and further intensified when Vince came on board. Those were my best times as a fan, watching our big 3 with RJ. We were not that good, but we sure were exciting.

After all 3 left, that was the start of our franchise's irrelevance. We somehow managed to survive the 12-70 season, where we got Favors as a consolation in one of the weakest drafts that I can remember. Followed by the lousy HBAP assets, until landing Deron.

I always though we got the better player and potential when we got Deron after losing Melo to the Knicks, but alas, we got a lazy, fat and unmotivated albeit injured version of him. Then the Billy King trades happened. I will always have a grudge against Dwight for flip-flopping, as I felt the Boston trade never happened if only he man up.

When we threw our future away, I found hope during the D'lo era. That was a fun team of young and unselfish players. They may lack the talent to compete, but you'll sure root for them for showing a big heart.

Then 7-11 came. To be fair, had we not been plagued with bad luck such as injuries to Harden (who's always been an iron man, but got hurt by not being in shape) and Irving (Giannis undercut), Harris' disappointing playoff shooting, LMA's heart scare, KD's toe on the line and most of all, the COVID situation which really impacted us the most (no thanks to Kyrie & the NYC mandate), we would've been very close to winning a championship. But as always, we Nets fans can't have the nice things.

I'm very frustrated right now, but shall remain as a passionate Nets fan. I've already invested 2 decades of my life to the team in spite of not having any affinity with the place (I haven't even been to the US for crying out loud), I'm still hopeful to experience at least 1 championship in this lifetime.

[NetsWorld]

Hang on there MDB. As a fan, I share your frustration. I've been a Nets fan since the JKidd days and further intensified when Vince came on board. Those were my best times as a fan, watching our big 3 with RJ. We were not that good, but we sure were exciting.

After all 3 left, that was the start of our franchise's irrelevance. We somehow managed to survive the 12-70 season, where we got Favors as a consolation in one of the weakest drafts that I can remember. Followed by the lousy HBAP assets, until landing Deron.

I always though we got the better player and potential when we got Deron after losing Melo to the Knicks, but alas, we got a lazy, fat and unmotivated albeit injured version of him. Then the Billy King trades happened. I will always have a grudge against Dwight for flip-flopping, as I felt the Boston trade never happened if only he man up.

When we threw our future away, I found hope during the D'lo era. That was a fun team of young and unselfish players. They may lack the talent to compete, but you'll sure root for them for showing a big heart.

Then 7-11 came. To be fair, had we not been plagued with bad luck such as injuries to Harden (who's always been an iron man, but got hurt by not being in shape) and Irving (Giannis undercut), Harris' disappointing playoff shooting, LMA's heart scare, KD's toe on the line and most of all, the COVID situation which really impacted us the most (no thanks to Kyrie & the NYC mandate), we would've been very close to winning a championship. But as always, we Nets fans can't have the nice things.

I'm very frustrated right now, but shall remain as a passionate Nets fan. I've already invested 2 decades of my life to the team in spite of not having any affinity with the place (I haven't even been to the US for crying out loud), [b]I'm still hopeful to experience at least 1 championship in this lifetime.[/b]

As we all are, Kyrie/KD need to get their heads out of their asses. But sometimes I really wonder if the ship to a 'ship has sailed and that 2021 was really our best shot. I really dislike Giannis for what happened to Kyrie. With a month to media day and training camp, they need to just focus on the new season and really making this work before they both depart from this franchise. If they get a title, I don't care what moves the team makes or they make. Right now is our best shot.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Yeah being a Nets fan really sucks.

I wouldn't blame anyone for not rooting for this garbage franchise anymore.

[Shark]

I don't know that I would go as far as to say it's humiliating (Id say that about the Jets), but it certainly is frustrating. Everytime it feels like we are going in the right direction everything just collapses. The Deron and Durant eras have been house of card eras. Fancy ones at that, but a house of cards none the less.

As for those in between times where we aren't nearly as good, it is what it is. The 12-70 season was tough, but at the same time there really weren't any expectations. The Dlo, Chris, Allen team was fun since I didn't really have high expectations for them. But generally I think we end up being who everyone thinks we are. A middling to bottom feeding franchise. Is it great to feel that way? Nah, not at all. But I can deal with low expectations. Underperformed and imploding will always hurt the most to me.

[Netaman]

first off, for all the humiliation we've had like 3 or 4 or 5 iterations of teams that advanced in the playoffs and were contenders. the first kidd teams, the vc/kidd group, deron/joe, deron/joe/pierce/kg, and now the big 3 whiners.

second, this KD/Kyrie stuff is imo the least humiliating of all. 2 years ago, year 1 with KD, they were the best team if not for bad injury luck. They not only destroyed Boston but were well on their way to beating Milwaukee in 5 when Kyrie sprained his ankle. They may have still done it if Brown didn't blow that layup. so for all the craziness in the media since the day KD chose the Nets, and then the Harden trade - the on floor product in those 10-20 games with Harden/KD year 1 in form, they were the best team. we got a championship team just not the rings or the championship.

also for the last 2 years we've gotten to watch like 100 games of KD being a legitimate HOF MVP top 20 player ever (and 4 of him choking like a dog vs. Boston). but other than those 4 he was basically peak lebron. what he did against Milwaukee was one of the most impressive individual efforts i've ever seen. it was fun to watch his greatness. he singlehandedly shut up Embiid/Harden in Philly. And embarrassed the knicks. and they generally did some things nobody has ever done before.

so is it semi-frustrating they didn't win a ring? maybe. If they did people would have diminished it anyway so honestly after all the bitch moves those big 3 pulled, im happier in hindsight Giannis got it, and im also able to rationalize that the Nets were the better team if they were only 80% healthy instead of 60%.

and at the end of the day they got KD and Kyrie for free. whatever they get now will likely put the organization further ahead then where they were when they got here. thanks for the 2 great years and signing an extension with no outs. it's almost poetic that KD may bring back Jaylen Brown or some of these other players that we lost from the celtics trade. It's like the organization is now getting back what billy king gave away.

[vincecarter4pres]

Buck up MDB, at least we're not Knicks or Kings fans!

That's all I've got.

[MrDollarBills]

Buck up MDB, at least we're not Knicks or Kings fans!

That's all I've got.

[gigantes]

Personally I feel more sad than humiliated.

For most people, it seems like being a fan isn't too far from going in to caveman mentality, and why should I care about what a caveman has to say? Yeah well, urka-gurka-unka-bunka right back to you, pal.

No, I mostly just feel sad because skillfully drafting a team from the ground up is a super-fun, absorbing kind of ride IME, and the Nets had prime opportunities to do it several times the past decade+, but each time instead they chose to jump start things with 'big stars.'

For example, I think it was around 2009 when we were absolutely flush with extra picks for years to come, but then chose to go the Deron Williams route after preceding years of being heavily disappointed by other players named "Williams." So to me, Prokhorov did a great thing solidifying the BRK move, but he absolutely wrecked the Nets for years to come instructing King to go HAM, trading for any and all star players he could get.

This doesn't get talked about enough, but Prokhy's meddling fingerprints are all over even the current build, which forced Marks to construct teams out of duct tape and baling wire for ~three years because the cupboard was bare of decent draft picks. Unfortunately, Marks wound up perpetuating the situation by being so damn clever and good at building teams out of thin air, meaning when we finally got our own picks back, they weren't worth nearly as much as they would have been under an average GM.

Is there a bigger case of excellent sports management backfiring so hard? Because I'm not sure what it might be..

[MrDollarBills]

Personally I feel more sad than humiliated.

For most people, it seems like being a fan isn't too far from going in to caveman mentality, and why should I care about what a caveman has to say? Yeah well, urka-gurka-unka-bunka right back to you, pal.

No, I mostly just feel sad because skillfully drafting a team from the ground up is a super-fun, absorbing kind of ride IME, and the Nets had prime opportunities to do it several times the past decade+, but each time instead they chose to jump start things with 'big stars.'

For example, I think it was around 2009 when we were absolutely flush with extra picks for years to come, but then chose to go the Deron Williams route after preceding years of being heavily disappointed by other players named "Williams." So to me, Prokhorov did a great thing solidifying the BRK move, but he absolutely wrecked the Nets for years to come instructing King to go HAM, trading for any and all star players he could get.

This doesn't get talked about enough, but Prokhy's meddling fingerprints are all over even the current build, which forced Marks to construct teams out of duct tape and baling wire for ~three years because the cupboard was bare of decent draft picks. Unfortunately, Marks wound up perpetuating the situation by being so damn clever and good at building teams out of thin air, meaning when we finally got our own picks back, they weren't worth nearly as much as they would have been under an average GM.

Is there a bigger case of excellent sports management backfiring so hard? Because I'm not sure what it might be..

This is the worst I have ever seen.

[Papi_swav]

I feel you bro , I feel you ! Same exact feelings here, this sucks !!! We deserve a WHOLE lot better than this. We didn't even get the top pick after that disaster 12-70 season. After all the hard work Sean Marks and co has done to do a whole 180 on this franchise to be able to sign 2 of the best players ever and then trade for a 3rd one, I thought it was a guarantee we would become a powerhouse for at least 3 years or so. But man this is something else and I honestly never seen anything like this. Can't believe they actually fumbled this. Everything we've worked for from those disaster seasons of giving up top picks to Boston has been ruined by selfish drama queens. Literally, KD and Kyrie RUINED a WHOLE franchise. Never seen anything like this and the NBA should be ashamed of themselves for letting the inmates run the building. The NBA gave these guys way too much power and they think they can do whatever they want.

I think top stars will still want to sign here tho. we've built a great culture and infrastructure, without Kyrie/KD and Nash, but pretty much every other player loves/loved it here and has great things to say. This is still NYC which is one of the best places in the world and we're not owned by Dolan. I still have faith because that's all we really have. We've been here thru thick and thin so we shouldn't give up now. I still have faith in Marks.

[Paradise]

Buck up MDB, at least we're not Knicks or Kings fans!

That's all I've got.

Yeah, seriously.

This is why I take a step back because this sounds ridiculous. It could be far worse and tbh, we still have a pretty good team outside of the KD/Kyrie nonsense and we’ve created the Nets as a destination franchise for years to come. We’re not some laughingstock franchise that can’t attract good talent. We’re likely getting back another young star to grow with and revamp style of play with Simmons.

Everyone has seen we’ve done what any top tier franchise would do to appease two stars but they just want to be entitled bitches. No one is blaming ownership but our own fans. No one is blaming marks but our own fans.

Stuff like this is why other fanbases come in here and don’t take us seriously. This is some weak sauce with all due respect. Other fans would trade places still with their team’s situation.

[MrDollarBills]

Buck up MDB, at least we're not Knicks or Kings fans!

That's all I've got.

Yeah, seriously.

This is why I take a step back because this sounds ridiculous. It could be far worse and tbh, we still have a pretty good team outside of the KD/Kyrie nonsense and we’ve created the Nets as a destination franchise for years to come. We’re not some laughingstock franchise that can’t attract good talent. We’re likely getting back another young star to grow with and revamp style of play with Simmons.

Everyone has seen we’ve done what any top tier franchise would do to appease two stars but they just want to be entitled bitches. No one is blaming ownership but our own fans. No one is blaming marks but our own fans.

Stuff like this is why other fanbases come in here and don’t take us seriously. This is some weak sauce with all due respect. Other fans would trade places still with their team’s situation.

The Nets are a laughing stock. You're in denial. Go read whats said about us outside of Nets social media circles. This franchise is a joke.

[ecuhus1981]

We can quibble about the semantics all we want. The bottom line is, this franchise is the biggest Media draw for the NBA this off season, for all the wrong reasons.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Nets have never really tried to build their own team since the BRK move.

Trade for Deron. Then trade for Piece/KG. Then sign KD, Kyrie and trade for Harden.

Would be great to draft our own star and see them grow. When was the last time the Nets did that? Kenyon Martin.

[ecuhus1981]

Jarrett was that homegrown star, and we threw him away to appease DeAndre, and by proxy, to appease Kevin. I'm not gonna re-litigate the past, at the time I was for trading Allen in order to get Harden. I still don't regret it, but knowing how the deal went down, Houston didn't want him. We could have found another way to absorb salary and flip the Rockets another pick, but keeping him would have hurt DJ's feelings, smh.

[spikeslovechild]

You are still going to get assets for KD and Kyrie two players you signed for free. The best sort of silver lining to look at it is even if it doesn't work out you are going to be in a much better place with the stuff that comes back then if you never signed KD or Kyrie. Plus it was a wild wide.

[ecuhus1981]

You are still going to get assets for KD and Kyrie two players you signed for free. The best sort of silver lining to look at it is even if it doesn't work out you are going to be in a much better place with the stuff that comes back then if you never signed KD or Kyrie. Plus it was a wild wide.

That's a fair and objective POV.

The reality is, we would all sign up for this journey again if we could go back in time, and hope for a different outcome. There are dozens of ways that the moves we made yield a championship, but we ended up in the Twilight Zone.

I will push back a bit though on your assertion, and say that no free agent is ever really "free". The opportunity cost of freeing up capspace means that other moves don't happen. But, getting 2 prime All-Stars to sign with you is by far the most efficient use of that capspace.