Art Heyman and the No. 40: The Fleeting Legacy of the Brooklyn Nets’ First Jersey Pioneer

The tapestry of the Brooklyn Nets is woven with threads of ABA rebellion, NBA assimilation, and the legacies of hundreds of players. With 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different athletes, each digit carries a story. Some numbers echo with the cheers of championships, while others whisper tales of brief tenures and forgotten pioneers. In the chronicle of Nets jersey history, No. 40 stands as a foundational digit, and its first occupant, Art Heyman, is a complex figure whose time with the franchise was as fleeting as it was historically significant. His story is not one of longevity or franchise records, but of a talented, tempestuous star who literally wore the first number on the back of the very first Net, setting an unexpected precedent for a jersey that would later be defined by bruising big men.

The Blue Devil in the Big Apple: Heyman’s Path to the Americans

Before there was a Nets franchise, Art Heyman was a college basketball legend. At Duke University, he was the 1963 National Player of the Year, a consensus First-Team All-American, and the centerpiece of one of the sport’s most intense rivalries. A fiery and supremely confident competitor, Heyman was the first overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft, selected by his hometown New York Knicks. His professional career, however, proved turbulent. After two seasons with the Knicks marked by clashes with coaches and management, he bounced to the Cincinnati Royals and Philadelphia 76ers, his undeniable talent often overshadowed by a reputation for volatility.

By 1967, the basketball landscape was shifting. The upstart American Basketball Association (ABA) was launching, promising a faster, flashier game and new opportunities. One of its eight charter franchises was the New Jersey Americans, playing out of the Teaneck Armory. Needing talent with name recognition, the Americans looked to a local star seeking a fresh start. They signed Art Heyman, and in doing so, they acquired more than just a scorer; they acquired a piece of living basketball history who would inadvertently become the answer to a foundational trivia question.

A Founding Figure: The Brief Tenure of Art Heyman as Net No. 1

Art Heyman’s stint with the New Jersey Americans was remarkably short. He played only a portion of the 1967 inaugural ABA season before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pipers (who would go on to win the first ABA championship). But in that brief window, he secured his unique place in the annals of the franchise. When Heyman took the court for the Americans, he did so wearing jersey No. 40. This makes him the very first player to ever don that number for the franchise that would become the Brooklyn Nets.

His on-court performance was a microcosm of his career: productive but not transformative. He provided scoring punch and veteran savvy for a fledgling team finding its footing. However, his lasting impact is symbolic. Heyman, the former No. 1 overall NBA pick, became the pioneer for a jersey number that, in the decades to follow, would become synonymous with a very different kind of player.

• Historical First: Art Heyman was the first of 14 players to wear No. 40 for the Nets franchise.
• Bridge Between Eras: He represented a direct link from the established NBA to the rebellious new ABA.
• Fleeting Foundation: His tenure, though short, marks the absolute starting point of the number’s lineage.

The Evolution of a Number: From Heyman to the Enforcers

Following Heyman’s departure, No. 40 lay dormant for several years before finding its true identity in the NBA era. Unlike numbers associated with graceful guards or high-flying forwards, No. 40 in Nets history evolved into a number for the enforcers, the rebounders, the blue-collar workers in the paint. This shift began in earnest with players like George Johnson in the late 70s, a defensive stalwart who led the NBA in blocks, and continued with the likes of Ben Coleman and Jayson Williams.

Williams, in particular, redefined the number in the 1990s. His relentless energy, rebounding prowess, and cult-hero status with the New Jersey Nets made No. 40 a symbol of toughness and effort. Later, Kris Humphries continued this tradition, leading the NBA in rebounding for a period and embodying a physical, grinding style of play. This lineage creates a fascinating juxtaposition: the number’s origin point is a skilled, perimeter-oriented forward from New York, while its legacy is built by rugged, paint-bound big men. Art Heyman’s No. 40 was a statement of star power; for those who followed, it became a badge of gritty labor.

Expert Analysis: Heyman’s Legacy and the Weight of a Jersey Number

From a historical perspective, Art Heyman’s role is crucial. Franchise origins are often messy, and the Nets’ ABA beginnings were no exception. Heyman represents that initial scramble for credibility. His signing was a coup for the Americans, a signal that the ABA could attract top-tier talent. Analyzing his career arc, Heyman is a classic “what-if” story—a player whose immense talent was never fully harnessed at the professional level, partly due to the era’s stricter coaching styles and his own combative personality.

The evolution of his jersey number, however, tells a broader story about team identity. The Nets, throughout their history, have often been defined by hard-nosed, underappreciated big men and relentless rebounders—from Williams to Humphries to Reggie Evans. That No. 40, starting with Heyman, became a vessel for this identity is a meaningful coincidence. It suggests that a number can absorb the ethos of the players who wear it, transforming from its original purpose into something new and representative of a team’s core values.

Conclusion: The First Thread in the Fabric

The history of a sports franchise is more than just its championships and superstars; it is the sum of every player who ever contributed, however briefly. Art Heyman’s legacy with the Brooklyn Nets is not measured in statistics or retired jersey banners. It is found in his foundational status as the first Net to wear No. 40. He was the original, a talented but transient star who helped a newborn franchise take its first steps. His story reminds us that every tradition, even one as specific as a jersey number’s association with bruising rebounders, must have a beginning.

Today, when a fan sees No. 40 in the rafters or on the court, they think of Jayson Williams snatching a rebound or Kris Humphries battling in the post. But beneath those memories lies the origin point: a fiery New York City guard/forward, a former No. 1 pick, taking the floor in a new league for a team called the Americans, wearing a number that would, in time, become something he never was. In the rich and complex jersey history of the Brooklyn Nets, Art Heyman is the first, vital stitch in the fabric of No. 40.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.