Less than two weeks ago Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving belonged to brooklyn nets. Now both are starting new chapters with completely different organizations.
In the span of three days, the Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Durant to the Phoenix Suns. What was once a “Big Three” of Irving, Durant and James Harden it has been completely disassembled. The rapid decay from Brooklyn’s talented core stunned the NBA world and left Nets fans wondering how and why things fell apart.
On Thursday, Durant shared his thoughts on what was going on inside the Brooklyn locker room. At his introductory press conference as a member of the Suns, Durant said Irving’s departure affected him and the rest of the team.
“It bothered me that we couldn’t finish [lo que empezamos]”he told the media. “I thought we had good momentum. We were finally building the culture we always wanted. I felt like every game we were building our chemistry.”
Kevin Durant says Kyrie Irving’s trade request was ‘hard to stomach’:
“We were finally building a culture that we always wanted. I didn’t know what was going on with Kyrie and his situation with the organization…without him, we didn’t have a clear identity.” pic.twitter.com/8mHdhwJ24a
— Video Nets (@SNYNets) February 16, 2023
Durant said he was unaware of Irving’s desire to leave Brooklyn. before moving to Dallas.
“I didn’t know what was going on with Kyrie and his situation with the franchise”Durant said. “I didn’t really focus on that, I just focused on what we did on the field. It was a blow to our team. He took away our identity.”
“It was a huge, huge part of what we did. he is a player worthy of the Hall of Famea great player who can do everything and we relied on that. Without him, we had no clear identity. It was hard for me to take it.”
Once Irving left, it seemed almost inevitable that Durant would follow. But Kevin also got emotional as he reflected on his nearly four years with the Nets.
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ESPN’s Nick Friedell asked how KD would sum up his time in Brooklyn. The question drew boos from Suns fans in attendance, but he also seemed to strike a chord with the 13-time NBA All-Star.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, but I liked the routine”Durant replied. “Everyone in Brooklyn loved hard work, so I raised a family there. It will always be part of my journey.”
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“We didn’t achieve what we wanted to win the championship”he continued. “But everyone in there pushed themselves to the limit every day, regardless of what was being talked about in the media, what was going on with our teammates. Everyone in the gym was pushing it. So I love you. I’m excited to talk about it because it was a very special four years in my career. After the Achilles (heel) injury, they helped me a lot.”
Kevin Durant was asked how he would sum up his time in Brooklyn, which draws boos from Suns fans.
An emotional Durant: “I’ve built a family there. They’ll always be a part of my journey … I love those guys.” pic.twitter.com/ZJY5CgYlXi
— Video Nets (@SNYNets) February 16, 2023
Durant’s heartfelt response drew applause from the crowdpart of which had dismissed the question moments before.
“Yeah, it was terrible how some things turned out, but at the end of the day, I like to work hard and we all liked working there in Brooklyn.”term. “I wish them the best. They have a bright future.”
Now, KD will turn his focus to Phoenix, where he will try to capture the championship that eluded him in his four years in the Big Apple.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
