Day'Ron Sharpe Surprisingly Leads Nets in All-Time Stat

The Brooklyn Nets have had an odd history, and that’s on full display when looking at the players who have only ever worn a Nets jersey.

The Nets have seen many legends come through New York and New Jersey throughout their history in both the NBA and ABA. Headlined by names like Julius Erving, Kevin Durant and Jason Kidd, the Nets have had no shortage of Hall of Famers play for the franchise. 

However, the one thing in common with just about every all-time great that makes their way to the Nets is that they also showcase their greatness on other teams throughout their career. Whether before, after or both, the Nets’ franchise legends have always donned another jersey at some point in their professional journey.

In a recent episode of the No Dunks podcast, host JE Skeets attempted to name the best player to play for each franchise who never played on another team. For teams like the Dallas Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs, the exercise was quite simple, but Brooklyn is one of a few teams that had no simple answer.

As Skeets pointed out, the obvious answer as of now is Nic Claxton, who accumulated 30.9 win shares across seven seasons and 380 games with the Nets. However, that comes with a caveat, given that Claxton was dealt to Chicago over the offseason and is almost certainly only a few weeks away from being off the list of players to play exclusively for the Nets.

Claxton had roughly three times as many win shares as the next name on the list, which is Day’Ron Sharpe. Playing 253 games across his first five seasons in the league, Sharpe has racked up 11.9 win shares throughout his time, mostly as a backup big man.

With Sharpe now set to take over as the Nets’ starting center next season, he looks poised to build on his current lead as the top dog on the list. While Sharpe has the lead and has a chance to keep earning more win shares, the Nets also have some intriguing candidates who could make their mark as Nets as their careers progress.

While getting to and staying at the top would mean a rare level of loyalty in this era of the NBA, recent draft picks like Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin and others could be in the mix if they continue to blossom over the next few years.