Levern Tart and the No. 40: Unearthing a Forgotten Pioneer in Nets Jersey History

The tapestry of the Brooklyn Nets is woven with threads of legendary names and iconic moments, from Julius Erving’s aerial artistry to Jason Kidd’s floor leadership. Yet, the full richness of the franchise’s story lies just as much in the lesser-known players who donned the uniform, the pioneers who laid the foundation in the chaotic, colorful early days of the ABA. In the chronicle of the team’s 52 jersey numbers, No. 40 holds a particularly sparse but significant history. And within that history, the journey of Levern Tart—a guard who briefly flashed for the team in 1968-69—offers a fascinating glimpse into the nomadic life of a professional basketball player at the dawn of the modern era.

The ABA Crucible: Where the Nets’ Story Began

To understand Levern Tart’s place in the annals, one must first appreciate the landscape. The franchise now known as the Brooklyn Nets was born in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans, a charter member of the upstart American Basketball Association. This league, with its red, white, and blue ball and a daring three-point line, was a direct challenge to the NBA’s monopoly. It was a league of hustle, flash, and instability, where teams could appear and disappear almost overnight. Players like Tart were not just athletes; they were basketball mercenaries, often jumping between leagues and teams in search of a roster spot and a paycheck. This was the crucible in which the Nets’ identity was forged, and every jersey number from this era carries the weight of that pioneering spirit.

Levern Tart: The Path Less Traveled to the Americans

Levern Tart’s basketball journey was anything but linear. A standout at Bradley University, his professional rights were actually owned by the mighty Boston Celtics, who selected him 54th overall in the 1964 NBA Draft. In an era with far fewer roster spots, making a dynasty like the Celtics was a near-impossible task for a late-round pick. Instead of heading to Boston, Tart took a path common for players of his era: he honed his craft in the AAU and other domestic leagues for three seasons. This was the minor league system of the time, a proving ground for talent overlooked by the two major leagues.

His performance there earned him a shot with the Oakland Oaks of the ABA in 1967-68. When that opportunity ended, he found his way to the New Jersey Americans (who would soon become the New York Nets) for the 1968-69 season. Tart’s arrival exemplifies the fluidity of the ABA’s early years—a player drafted by an NBA giant, cutting his teeth in semi-pro leagues, bouncing between ABA franchises, all in pursuit of a lasting home.

• Draft Pedigree: Selected by the legendary Boston Celtics in 1964.
• Proving Ground: Spent three critical developmental years in AAU/domestic leagues.
• ABA Journey: Played for the Oakland Oaks before joining the Americans/Nets.
• Position & Style: A 6’3″ guard in an era of smaller, quicker lineups.

Analyzing Tart’s Fleeting Nets Tenure and Legacy

Statistics from the ABA’s earliest seasons can be incomplete, but the available data paints a picture of a role player fighting for minutes on a team finding its way. Tart’s time with the Americans/Nets was split across parts of two seasons, a tenure marked by transition both for him and the franchise. He was not a star, but his presence in the box scores and on the roster sheets is a critical data point in the team’s evolution. Wearing No. 40, he was part of the bridge between the inaugural New Jersey Americans and the early New York Nets teams that would soon draft a player named Julius Erving.

His Nets career ended not with a retirement, but with a transaction emblematic of the times: a trade to the Houston Mavericks, another ABA franchise that would ultimately fold. This constant churn of players and teams makes the continuity of a jersey number like No. 40 so historically valuable. Tart’s story is one of resilience and adaptation. He navigated a complex, unregulated basketball ecosystem, leveraging every opportunity to extend his professional career. In doing so, he contributed, however modestly in the stat sheets, to the foundation of a franchise that would eventually become an NBA mainstay. His legacy is that of a basketball journeyman whose path helped normalize the movement of players between leagues and laid bare the need for the eventual merger.

Jersey History as Franchise DNA: The Importance of Remembering No. 40

Commemorating players like Levern Tart is not merely an exercise in nostalgia. It is an essential act of preserving the complete franchise DNA. The Brooklyn Nets of today, with their global brand and superstar pursuits, are a direct descendant of those scrappy, uncertain ABA teams. Every number retired in the rafters is balanced by dozens like No. 40, worn by players whose collective efforts kept the franchise alive through its formative years. Tart’s journey—from Celtics draft pick to AAU standout to Oaks and Americans guard—mirrors the journey of the ABA itself: ambitious, unpredictable, and fundamentally crucial to the shape of modern basketball.

Looking forward, as the Nets continue to build their future, understanding this past provides context. The pursuit of elite talent today is possible because of the survival instincts demonstrated in the Tart era. Future stars who wear the black and white will do so standing on the shoulders of those who played in red, white, and blue, in arenas far from the spotlight of Barclays Center.

Conclusion

The history of a sports franchise is too often told as a highlight reel of championships and superstars. The true narrative is far more granular, built on the daily contributions of every individual who ever suited up. Levern Tart’s chapter in Brooklyn Nets history is a short one, a few lines in the media guide under the heading for jersey number 40. Yet, his story encapsulates the essence of the ABA era—a time of opportunity, impermanence, and sheer love for the game. He was a pioneer not in fame, but in experience, navigating the wilderness of professional basketball before the roads were paved. In remembering Tart, we honor the very fabric of the Nets’ identity: a franchise born of an upstart league, built by journeymen and stars alike, whose rich and complex history is stitched into the numbers its players wear.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.