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NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-2027)
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NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-??)
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NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-??)
Creator of Derek Baldwin da Gawd
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Topic author - Posts: 3700
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Topic author - Posts: 3700
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NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-??)
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NBA|CROSSOVER
50 Years Later and the Nets are Seriously Talking Championship
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Toast to the good life. (Above) Julius Erving celebrating after the New York Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets for the Nets’ second and final championship in 1976. Will there finally be another champagne celebration for the Brooklyn Nets?
The date was May 13, 1976.
That was when the New York Nets won the last championship before the ABA-NBA merger and the last championship title in franchise history. They defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games by a score of 112-106 at Nassau Coliseum in New York.
That was 50 years ago.
NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving, 76, still remembers that championship. That was his second championship in three years, after winning in 1974 before the Nets were knocked out of the first round in 1975 by the Spirits of St. Louis.
“Seventy-six was different, even though on the ring it says “The Gold Again.” It was sort of a repeat of what happened earlier. It felt really good because we were knocked out the previous year. It was a grueling back and forth series, but we got it done.”
Erving found himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week, with the headline “Dr. J Slices ‘Em Up.”
Pat Putnam wrote the following in the article:
“Too bad, America, but you missed one of the greatest basketball shows on Earth, or, rather, one just a few feet off the Earth. That was Julius Erving last week, launching himself from various points on courts in Denver and New York, soaring and scoring, passing, rebounding, blocking and stealing—all in the undeserved obscurity of the ABA championship finals. By Saturday night Erving and his underdog New York Nets had Denver down three games to one, which is what can happen when humans go five-on-one with a helicopter.”
The Nets went down in history as being the last team to win an ABA championship. But the franchise has been quiet ever since.
Sure, the Nets have made it to the NBA Finals twice since, once in 2002 where they were swept by the Lakers and again in 2003 where they loss to the Spurs in six games, but they were playing as the New Jersey Nets. It’s not quite the same.
“Even if they had won, it wouldn’t have felt like it was for us, you know,” said Rueben Washington, a 65 year old lifelong Nets fan. Washington can still be seen at Nets games to this day with his eight year old grandson. He was 15 years old when the Nets won their last championship in NY. “I’ll never forget it. That was a great team. Dr. J., Super John [Williamson], Jumbo [Jim Eakins]. Those guys were great. A lot of talent on that team. Those guys never gave up.”
There was a lot of fight in that Nets team 50 years ago. The Nuggets had a 22-point lead late in the third quarter of Game 6 and were looking to bring Game 7 back to Denver. However, the Nets wanted to end the series in front of their home fans, and staged a furious fourth quarter rally. Using their zone press, New York frustrated Denver's guards and climbed back within striking distance. Using some memorable and clutch baskets by Williamson and Eakins, the Nets came away victorious.
The date is May 18, 2026.
50 years and 5 days after the Sports Illustrated article featuring Julius Erving and celebrating the New York Nets’ second and final championship hit newsstands, the Brooklyn Nets took a huge Game 4 win over the Charlotte Hornets to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 23 years.
After relocating to Brooklyn in 2012, the team has shown flashes of brilliance, however, their best years have come under the leadership of Derek Baldwin, a six time NBA champion. He has gone from head coach to starting shooting guard on this team after losing starter Mike Bibby, Jr. to injury earlier this season. Baldwin tends to draw a lot of comparisons between the Erving led Nets and this current team.
“These guys play with a lot of heart and they want to win. And they put in the work to make that happen. I would love for them to win this championship. We take nothing for granted and we never say die. That’s the Brooklyn way.”
“This season we really put it together,” said Baldwin. “From the front to the back. They have gotten after it all season long. Making the playoffs the past two seasons has really given a confidence boost to this team. They’ve gone from being happy to be here to wanting to win the entire thing.”
Baldwin says that he has been in contact with Erving more since the playoffs started.
“When I looked at this team, going into the playoffs, there was only one person I could call. And he has been behind me every step of the way.”
“He’s a true student of the game,” says Erving, “which allows him to be a great teacher. He wants his players to get better. He knows what it means to work hard, so he is a great motivator and he believes in this organization and he believes in this team. And the players can see that. They want to give him their best.”
His players readily agree that their current teammate and former coach does keep them motivated. At practice all week, Baldwin has been wearing a new t-shirt that Nike released that reads: Under This Shirt Beats the Heart of a Champion.
“Kobe and I don’t want to be the only ones in practice wearing this shirt,” he tells them.
They also seem to accessorize their new white t-shirts with a bit of old gold.
Baldwin has been seen in press conferences wearing his last championship ring from his run with the Clippers six years ago, but apparently he switches that up for practice. “He wears at least three of his championship rings to practice,” said rookie guard Adam Demps. Demps has been averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 assists per game for the Nets throughout the playoffs and has had a real impact for the team off the bench. “He’s not intimidating us. He’s pushing us. We want that. He is trying to show us that we can have that.”
Led by Keith Perkins and Shareef O’Neal, who have been the catalysts for the team all season, the Nets have managed to fight their way to the top. You throw in veterans Paul George, Greg Monroe and perennial powerhouse Derek Baldwin, you have a makeup for a great championship team. Baldwin certainly believes it.
“They were the last team to win the ABA Championship and the last championship for this franchise. I think we have all the makings to be the first team to win an NBA Championship for this franchise.”
The Nets have already made history once, winning 73 games this season. And they are looking to make some more. Even if it took 50 years to do it.
“All great things take time,” said Baldwin. "And fifty years is a long time."
It looks like that time is now, Brooklyn.
Last edited by chosenone58 on 06 Jun 2021, 15:21, edited 1 time in total.
Creator of Derek Baldwin da Gawd
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NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-??)
Easy dub for Brooklyn. These hoes ain't even lost yet.
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Topic author - Posts: 3700
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Topic author - Posts: 3700
- Joined: 28 Nov 2018, 19:06
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Topic author - Posts: 3700
- Joined: 28 Nov 2018, 19:06