<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One year ago, everyone wanted out of here. Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles were gone for draft picks. Ownership was slashing payroll. Rod Thorn had to think long and hard about his desire to continue as Nets president. And fans were canceling their season-ticket purchases, insisting they would never come back to the Meadowlands for those gutted, Brooklyn-bound Nets. "Last year at this time, it looked rather gloomy," Thorn said. "Jason [Kidd] and Alonzo Mourning were deserting ship. It did not look good." No one believed Thorn and general manager Ed Stefanski could've reshaped the Nets into a contender anytime soon. But now it appears the pair has turned this Here Today, Gone Tomorrow franchise into the hottest ticket it's ever been. For all the breathless hype over the arrival of Larry Brown to coach the Knicks, the Nets are way ahead on the road to competing.</div> ESPN
