The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.
Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.
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To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 19th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 17, which has has had a total of seven players wear the number in the history of the team.
Apr 10, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Garrett Temple (17) steals the ball from Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The sixth of those players wearing No. 17 played in the Brooklyn Nets era, guard alum Garrett Temple. After ending his college career at LSU, Temple would go unselected in the 2009 NBA draft, instead playing in the G League until he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2010.
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native also played for the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, the Kings again, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers before he signed with Brooklyn in 2019.
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His stay with the team would span a single season, coming to an end when he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2020. During his time suiting up for the Nets, Temple wore only jersey No. 17 and put up 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 17 – Garrett Temple (2019-20)