How the Nets wasted a prime championship opportunity, then fell apart and left the state | Collapse

In the mid-2000s, the NBA's Western Conference faltered a bit, allowing for the Eastern Conference to swoop in and win a couple championships. Heading into that mini era, anyone would have picked the New Jersey Nets to snatch at least one of those trophies. But instead of seizing the throne, the Nets followed back-to-back Finals visits with disaster: heartbreaking playoff defeats, payroll cuts, injuries, bad luck, and an eventual departure for Brooklyn.