Second-greatest player in the history of each NBA franchise
Brooklyn Nets: Buck Williams
Greatest Player: Jason Kidd
The Brooklyn Nets — previously in New Jersey — had selected Buck Williams with the third overall pick in the 1981 Draft.
A burly inside presence who averaged a double-double in three years at Maryland, Williams started his career on the right foot with back-to-back All-Star appearances and combined averages of 16.2 points and 12.4 rebounds a game in his first two seasons.
In its entirety, Williams would go on to play 635 games for the Nets, the most in franchise history, across eight seasons. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1982, put up 16.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and made his final All-Star appearance in 1986.
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How good was Buck Williams, the player Brook Lopez passed as the Nets' all-time leading scorer? An elite power fwd who played BOTH ends. pic.twitter.com/84x9Hz6YbQ
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 11, 2017
Given his lengthy stay in New Jersey, Williams remains a staple in the Net’s record books, ranking first in minutes, total rebounds, free-throws and fouls. He’s the franchise’s second all-time leading scorer as well.
It was following that eighth season in 1889 when the Nets traded who was then the greatest player in franchise history — ABA not included — to the Portland Trail Blazers for the infamous former top pick Sam Bowie and a first-rounder.