Brooklyn Nets to host “Swamp Dragons” night celebrating failed 1990s rebrand

The Brooklyn Nets have announced a “Swamp Dragons” night scheduled for Jan. 29 against the LA Clippers. The event is part of a series of six “Eras Nights” designed to celebrate the franchise’s 60-year history, which includes themes covering the ABA, the 1980s, the 1990s, the 2000s, and the team’s 2012 move to Brooklyn.

The “Swamp Dragons” theme honors a failed rebranding attempt from 1995. At the time, then-president Jon Spoelstra proposed the name to help the team stand out from the New York Knicks following their move to New Jersey. Although the NBA Board of Governors voted 26-1 in favor of the change, the rebrand was blocked because the single dissenting vote came from a Nets co-owner, preventing the required consensus.

As part of the upcoming celebrations, the team will also unveil a 60th anniversary logo incorporating various iterations of the franchise’s previous eras.