The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.
Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.
Advertisement
To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.
Mar 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) and Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) battle for the ball during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
And for today’s article, we will continue with the 13th of 13 people to wear the No. 45 jersey, guard alum Keon Johnson. After ending his college career at Tennessee, Johnson was picked up with the 21st overall selection of the 2021 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
The Bell Buckle, Tennessee native played the first 15 games of his pro career with the Los Angeles Clippers after a near-draft night deal. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers before he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023 for the final two seasons of his NBA career.
Advertisement
During his time suiting up for the Nets, Johnson wore only jersey No. 45 and put up 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 45 – Keon Johnson (2023-25)