Today’s franchise birthday commemorates the dawn of the team now known as the Brooklyn Nets. On October 23, 1967, the American Basketball Association’s New Jersey Americans played their first-ever game, a 110-107 loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pipers. Here are a few artifacts from the birth of the Americans, starting with a very cool record cover from the team’s official theme song:
And here’s the program from that Pipers vs. Americans game, held at Teaneck Armory in Teaneck, New Jersey.
And finally, here’s a relatively rare photo of the Americans themselves, who changed their name to the New York Nets the following season.
