The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball franchise based in Brooklyn, New York, a borough of New York City. They are a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as an original member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Brooklyn Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey, as the New Jersey Americans. In its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets. Led by Hall of Famer Julius "Dr. J" Erving, the Nets won two ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The team then moved back to New Jersey in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets. During their time in that state, the Nets saw periods of losing and misfortune intermittent with several periods of success, which culminated in two consecutive NBA Finals appearances in the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons by teams led by point guard Jason Kidd. After 35 seasons in New Jersey, the team returned to the state of New York in 2012 to play in the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn as the Brooklyn Nets.

Barclays Center

The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are members of the Southeast Division in the league's Eastern Conference. The team is largely owned by former NBA player Michael Jordan, who acquired controlling interest in the team in 2010. The Hornets play their home games at Time Warner Cable Arena in center-city Charlotte. The original Charlotte Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team. The team relocated to New Orleans following the 2001–02 season, becoming the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004, the NBA established a new expansion team in Charlotte, the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2013, the New Orleans franchise announced it would rename itself the New Orleans Pelicans, relinquishing the Hornets name, records, and official history for use by Charlotte. The Bobcats became the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season.