2000–01 New Jersey Nets season

The 2000–01 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 34th season in the National Basketball Association, and 25th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Despite finishing with a 31–51 record the previous season, the Nets won the NBA draft lottery, and selected power forward Kenyon Martin from the University of Cincinnati with the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Aaron Williams, and rookie shooting guard Stephen Jackson, and hired retired Los Angeles Lakers guard Byron Scott as their new head coach.

Under Scott and with the addition of Martin, the Nets got off to a 6–4 start to the regular season, but then lost nine consecutive games while losing 17 of their next 20 games, and holding a 17–34 record at the All-Star break. The team dealt with injuries as Keith Van Horn only played just 49 games due to a leg injury, while Kendall Gill only appeared in just 31 games due to tendinitis in his right knee, and Kerry Kittles missed the entire season due to a knee injury. The Nets lost their final six games of the season, finishing in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 26–56 record.

Stephon Marbury averaged 23.9 points and 7.6 assists per game, and led the Nets with 110 three-point field goals, while Van Horn averaged 17.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and Martin provided the team with 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, sixth man Johnny Newman contributed 10.9 points per game off the bench, while Williams provided with 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game also off the bench, Lucious Harris contributed 9.4 points per game, and Gill averaged 9.1 points and 1.5 steals per game. Meanwhile, Jackson contributed 8.2 points per game, Douglas provided with 5.7 points and 2.4 assists per game, and second-year center Evan Eschmeyer averaged 3.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Marbury was selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, Martin and Jackson were both selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as members of the Rookies team. Martin also finished in second place in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Mike Miller of the Orlando Magic.

The Nets finished 28th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 556,573 at the Continental Airlines Arena during the regular season, which was the second-lowest in the league. Following the season, Marbury and Newman were both traded to the Phoenix Suns, while Gill signed with the Miami Heat, Jackson signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and Sherman Douglas retired. For the season, the Nets slightly changed their grey alternate road uniforms, which would remain in use until 2005.