Brooklyn Nets: 25 Best Players To Play For The Nets
By Phil Watson
<strong>How acquired:</strong> Selected from Princeton, 1972 ABA Draft.. PG. 1972-76. Brian Taylor. 7. player. 147
The 1972 ABA Draft was held in secret—part of the brinksmanship in the heat of the rivalry between the ABA and NBA—but the New York Nets came out of it with Princeton All-American Brian Taylor, who turned pro after his sophomore season during which he averaged 25 points and nearly seven rebounds per game.
Taylor was the ABA Rookie of the Year in 1972-73, was a two-time ABA All-Star, an All-ABA pick in 1974-75 and a two-time All-Defensive selection with the Nets.
He led the ABA in steals in 1974-75 and in 3-point shooting in 1975-76, finishing third in steals that season.
He also helped the Nets to ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. He averaged 12.8 points per game in a five-game win over the Utah Stars in the 1974 ABA Finals and put up 14.8 points per game in the 1976 ABA Finals, a six-game victory over the Denver Nuggets.
But shortly after the leagues merged, Taylor was traded in September 1976 with Jim Eakins and first-round picks in 1977 and 1978 to the Kansas City Kings in exchange for Tiny Archibald.
In four seasons in New York, Taylor averaged 14 points, 3.7 assists, three rebounds and 2.4 steals in 32.8 minutes per game, shooting .499/.307/.754.
Taylor was a second-round pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1972 NBA Draft, but never played for them after signing with the Nets.
After earning All-Defensive honors in Kansas City in 1976-77, he was traded to the Nuggets in May 1977 and signed as a veteran free agent with the San Diego Clippers in February 1979.
Taylor retired in 1982 after an Achilles injury.
He was eighth in ABA history with 500 steals.
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