THE Brooklyn fillets have 52 jersey numbers worn by greater than 600 totally different gamers throughout their historical past because the franchise’s inception in 1967 as a founding member of the American Basketball Affiliation (ABA), when the group was often called the “New Jersey People.”
Since then, this league has been absorbed by the NBA with the group that might later develop into New York Nets And New Jersey Nets earlier than selecting the identify they’re identified by at this time, bringing with them their wealthy enjoying and jersey historical past into at this time’s league.
To commemorate the gamers who performed for the Nets over the a long time, sporting these 52 totally different jersey numbers, Nets Wire covers the complete historical past of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the gamers who’ve worn them because the group’s inception. The sixth of those 52 totally different numbers is jersey No. 4, on which a complete of 13 gamers have worn this quantity within the group’s historical past.
Walt Simon was a 6’6″ ahead/guard from Benedict Faculty. He performed 7 seasons (1967-1974) within the American Basketball Affiliation (ABA) for the New Jersey People/New York Nets and the Kentucky Colonels. He appeared within the 1969 ABA All-Star Sport, and he scored 6,414 profession factors. pic.twitter.com/QfFC2KGou7
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The primary of those gamers to put on quantity 4 did so in the course of the New Jersey People period, former ahead Walt Simon. After ending his school profession at Benedict Faculty, Simon was not chosen within the 1961 NBA draft, as a substitute enjoying within the Japanese Skilled Basketball League till signing with the People in 1967.
The Delcambre, Louisiana native’s keep would span 3 seasons till 1970, when he left the group to affix the Kentucky Colonels roster.
Whereas in an American uniform, Simon solely wore jersey No. 4 and averaged 16.0 factors, 6.8 rebounds and three.3 assists per sport.
This text was initially revealed on Nets Wire: Historical past of the Nets jersey No. 4 – Walt Simon (1967-70)