With all of the iconic players to have worn the Nets uniform, whether in Brooklyn or New Jersey, it may come as a surprise to some that Brook Lopez is the franchise’s all-time scoring leader, with 10,444 points scored in his nine seasons with the team. Despite a couple of injury-plagued years, Lopez was the picture of consistency when available, averaging over 18 points per game on efficient shooting. On the defensive end, he utilized his 7’1, 280-pound frame to become a strong rebounder and the franchise's all-time leading shot blocker as well.
Lopez played for two years at Stanford alongside his twin brother Robin, forming one of the most imposing frontcourts in the nation. Lopez led the Cardinal to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008, and he was named a third-team All-American for his efforts. The Nets selected Lopez with the tenth pick in the 2008 Draft, as the team was entering a transition period following the departure of Jason Kidd the previous season.
The molding of a franchise legend
While the Nets struggled during his rookie year, the young center made an immediate impact. Lopez started 75 games, scoring 13 points per game on 53.2% shooting, while also averaging 1.8 blocks. Lopez was twice named Rookie of the Month, ultimately finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.
The next year was the worst season in franchise history, as the Nets finished a miserable 12-70. Despite the team’s record, Lopez continued to improve across the board. His third season was another forgettable year for the Nets in the standings, but the acquisition of All-Star point guard Deron Williams helped Lopez push his scoring average to 20.4 points per game. Lopez suffered a broken foot before the start of the 2011-12 season, and he would only appear in five games.
The Nets would relocate to Brooklyn in 2012, and the first season at the Barclays Center marked a reversal of the team’s fortunes. Lopez was named to his first and only All-Star team as Brooklyn finished 49-33, making the playoffs for the first time in his career. One of the highlights of the season came when Lopez scored 38 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Nets to a win over Dallas.
The Nets were eliminated in the first round by Chicago in seven games, with Lopez averaging 22.3 points in the series.
The next offseason saw the Nets make the ill-fated trade with the Celtics that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, with Lopez in place as one of the core pieces to push for a championship alongside the two future Hall of Famers. This plan memorably failed to come to fruition, and Lopez suffered a season-ending injury in December 2013. By 2015, both Garnett and Pierce were off the team, and the Nets limped to the eighth seed in the playoffs. Lopez averaged 19.8 points and nine rebounds in the first-round loss to the Hawks, the final playoff series he would appear in for Brooklyn.
Through his first eight seasons with the Nets, Lopez attempted just 25 three-point shots in total, before head coach Kenny Atkinson urged his center to reinvent himself as a shooting specialist. Lopez proved quite adept at this new skill, as he now sports a career 34.9% three-point percentage on over four attempts per game since 2016. Lopez’s shooting prowess has allowed his game to age gracefully in the modern NBA, but unfortunately, the Nets were not the team to benefit. 2016-17 was Lopez’s final season in Brooklyn before he was traded to the Lakers. He played in Los Angeles for one year before signing with the Bucks, where his combination of size and shooting earned him the nickname ‘Splash Mountain.’
Lopez’s tenure with the Nets was not particularly successful in terms of wins and losses, as he only appeared in two playoff series in nine years. However, Lopez himself was always a rock-solid presence on both ends of the floor, and only Buck Williams has appeared in more games for the franchise. Nets fans were reminded of how good he was in the 2021 playoffs, when Lopez's Bucks defeated Brooklyn in seven games on their way to winning the NBA title. Lopez remains the Bucks starting center as they look to stay in the mix among Eastern Conference contenders.