Nets 2026-27 Eras Nights: Swamp Dragons, ABA and Hello Brooklyn games, plus Erving and Petrovic bobbleheads

The Brooklyn Nets will turn six home games into a walk through their 60 seasons, starting with an ABA Night against Chicago on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and closing with a Hello Brooklyn Night against Cleveland on Wednesday, March 31. The run is called Eras Nights, and every one of the six is built around a bobblehead or giveaway tied to a stretch of franchise history.

The headline date for longtime fans is Friday, Jan. 29, when the Clippers visit Barclays Center for Swamp Dragons Night. It salutes the nickname the franchise nearly adopted in the 1990s in New Jersey, a teal, purple and black rebrand that cleared the league’s owners before the Nets’ own ownership group dropped it. The team plans Swamp Dragons merchandise for that game, a bobblehead included, but the players will wear their regular uniforms on the usual court.

Nets Eras Nights 2026-27: dates and opponents

Date	Opponent	Tip (ET)	Night	What fans can expect
Wed, Nov. 18	Bulls	7:30 p.m.	ABA Night	The red, white and blue ball years; Julius Erving bobblehead in the series
Fri, Dec. 18	Magic	7:30 p.m.	’80s Night	Buck Williams era; Williams bobblehead in the series
Sat, Jan. 9	Rockets	6 p.m.	’90s Night	Tribute to Drazen Petrovic; Petrovic bobblehead in the series
Fri, Jan. 29	Clippers	7:30 p.m.	Swamp Dragons Night	Swamp Dragons bobblehead and merchandise
Mon, March 15	Pacers	7:30 p.m.	2000s Night	The Jason Kidd Finals years; mystery giveaway
Wed, March 31	Cavaliers	7:30 p.m.	Hello Brooklyn Night	The 2012 move to Brooklyn; mystery giveaway

The Nets have named four bobbleheads for the series, honoring Erving, Williams, Petrovic and the Swamp Dragons, along with mystery items for the 2000s and Brooklyn games. The club has not yet published which bobblehead lands on which night beyond the Swamp Dragons game, or how many fans will receive each item, so the pairings above follow the era each night celebrates. The team said more giveaways and special guests will be added during the season.

Each night also brings themed in-arena entertainment and appearances by former players from that era. Becky Kimbro, the senior vice president of marketing at Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, framed the anniversary around the franchise’s habit of starting over: “The story of the Nets has always been one of reinvention.”

It's happening: Per sources, the Brooklyn Nets will be holding a Swamp Dragons night on Jan. 29 as part of a series of "eras nights" celebrating franchise history. There will be merchandise, I'm told.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) September 2, 2026

The rest of the 60th season calendar

Alongside the Eras Nights, the Nets Unite program returns with heritage and community games for Lunar New Year, the Caribbean community, HBCUs, Pride, Black History Month, AAPI fans and Latino fans (Noche Latina), plus a Women’s Impact night; those dates have not been itemized yet. The club is also planning Nets Fest, a free family festival with players, alumni, basketball activities and live entertainment away from game nights.

How tickets work

The Eras Nights are regular-season home games, so tickets are single-game seats sold through the Nets and Barclays Center. None of the announcements mention a dedicated theme-night pack, which means the collectible nights are priced like any other game against the same opponent. Three of the six fall on a weekend: the Friday games against the Magic and the Clippers and the Saturday 6 p.m. game against Houston. Giveaway quantities have not been announced, so arriving at doors-open is the safest way to land an item.

What comes next

The season starts at home. The Nets open against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center. Follow the roster, schedule and results on the Brooklyn Nets team page.