The Nets had gone 26-56 the year before, prompting GM Rod Thorn to make arguably the greatest trade in franchise history, sending Stephon Marbury to the Suns in exchange for Kidd. Even so, it wasn’t like anyone was predicting an NBA finals run — let alone back-to-back NBA finals runs — at the time for the Knicks’ little brother. And there wasn’t exactly any buzz in the building for the opener against the Indiana Pacers. “I think it was a wakeup moment for Jason,” Eagle said. “A humbling way to start the next chapter of his career. He was used to playing in front of large, boisterous crowds in Phoenix, and this was a somber moment of what playing in New Jersey was going to be.”
