After the dust settled on the labor negotiation, the summer of 1998 was coming to an end.
The management of various teams was digesting the content of the new labor agreement, signing new contracts, and making trades in accordance with the needs of the new season.
The Nets formed a roster with impressive paper strength of four major stars. Paul Allen held a grand unveiling ceremony at the New Jersey Continental Airlines Arena, causing massive excitement among local fans.
With the Hudson River separating New Jersey and New York, historically, the Nets had always been suppressed by the Knicks. When the Nets left the ABA to join the NBA in 1976, they had to pay the Knicks $4.5 million as an "invasion fee."
For this $4.5 million, the Nets had to sell their marquee player and biggest box office draw, Dr. J, to the Philadelphia 76ers. This wrong decision led to the Nets' future development being unsatisfactory.
