Mikhail Prokhorov

Who will be Mikhail Prokhorov's first Brooklyn coaching hire? (AP)

LATEST UPDATE: Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has met with the Milwaukee Bucks about their open coaching position, and a reunion with Deron Williams in Brooklyn looks unlikely. More

Update: An insider tells NetsDaily that Phil Jackson is the only candidate the Nets have contacted so far. More

Update: Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge tells WEEI radio that he expects Doc Rivers back on the sidelines for Boston next year. More

Update: Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins is a team on Brooklyn's radar, should the Grizzlies decide not to re-sign Hollins after this season. More

Update: Despite earlier reports that both sides aren't interested, Jeff Van Gundy could still get a call from Brooklyn. More

Update: Brooklyn isn't the only team looking at Brian Shaw. More

Update: Jerry Sloan says he's spoken with a couple of teams. More

The Brooklyn Nets have opened up perhaps the most important coaching search in franchise history -- with the team finally in Brooklyn, with a talent-laden roster that wasn't properly utilized in its first year, the direction the team takes with its next coach could set up the next decade of relevance. Here's a command central of every coach connected to the search -- even if, at this time, they're not being considered for the position. Things change in an instant, after all.

Start with: Larry Brown

Larry Brown | Mike Dunleavy | Lionel Hollins | Phil Jackson | Nate McMillan | Doc Rivers | Brian Shaw | Scott Skiles | Jerry Sloan | Jeff Van Gundy | Stan Van Gundy

 

Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks, Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets

Stephon Marbury & Jason Kidd... Two players who have seen both sides. (AP/Bill Kostroun)

In whatever superlative you'd like to assign it -- the Battle for New York, Battle of the Boroughs, the Nets' arrival on the New York stage, or just another game -- the ex-New Jersey/now Brooklyn Nets take on the New York Knicks tonight, in Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This game has added meaning like few Nets-Knicks games have had before, but these two have had an up-and-down rivalry since the Nets joined the NBA in 1976.

Let's take a look through the history of the Nets-Knicks rivalry: from its origin, through the decades and playoff matchups, through the players that have seen both sides, and finally to today: the "Blueprint for Greatness" era.

The origin story
The 1980s: Waves of excellence in a sea of obscurity
1983: The first playoff battle ends in defeat
The 90s: what could have been
Playoffs: '94's and Heartbreak

The Nets take center stage
Nets sweep at last

The Blueprint for Greatness

The origin story

... MORE →