NEW YORK — Kevin Durant expressed pride in what he believed the Brooklyn Nets were creating before issues led to a swift downfall. The trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden managed to share the court for only 16 games, and their time together became infamous more for the turmoil off the court rather than the exceptional performances they displayed during games.
However, the negative aspects seemed to fade on Wednesday night, as numerous fans eagerly sought Durant’s autograph ahead of the Nets’ matchup against the Phoenix Suns. This marked Durant’s second notable return to the Barclays Center following his trade to the Suns, where he scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds, hitting 4 of 7 three-pointers in Phoenix’s decisive 108-84 victory.
Despite the “dysfunction” that impacted their time together, Durant acknowledged the support from the fans. “Even though we went through a lot of dysfunction I guess you could call it, for lack of a better term,” he remarked, “but regardless of that, a lot of people in those stands still supported, still came out and cheered loud as hell for the game of basketball and for the Nets, so that’s what stood out the most.”
Durant and Irving joined forces in the summer of 2019, with Harden being traded to the team in January 2021. Yet, injuries plagued all three players, and Irving missed a significant portion of the 2021-22 season after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Durant reflected on this lack of consistent team play, saying, “I think that was the main thing, that we just didn’t get on the court together. A lot of injuries. Injuries to me, James, and Kyrie kind of played a factor, along with COVID. That whole thing just confused a lot of (stuff). But I think basketball-wise, chemistry-wise, camaraderie-wise, teamwork-wise, I thought it was the perfect, ideal situation.”
When healthy during the 2020-21 season, the Nets appeared to be championship contenders. However, injuries to both Irving and Harden during the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals derailed their title hopes, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to come back from a 2-0 series deficit and defeat the Nets. The subsequent season saw additional struggles with Irving missing games and Durant facing injuries, prompting Harden to request a trade. Both Irving and Durant were dealt away shortly after each other at the 2023 trade deadline. Durant maintains that the era was filled more with misfortune than negative attitudes.
Durant stated, “There was a lot of narratives going around about each individual player — me, James, and Kyrie — about our mentality as men. But once we got on the court and once we actually played together, once you seen the culture that we were building, it was something that the fans could get behind I think.” He continued, “That first year when James got here halfway through the season, that was some of the most incredible basketball that I’ve seen, I’ve played in. But more so than anything, the locker room, the bus rides, the plane rides, the hotels, that was the culture we were building and a lot of people didn’t get to see it but I wish they could have. It was special.”
Currently, the Nets are in a rebuilding phase this season. There is hope that they may eventually reach the heights Durant envisioned for the team. “It didn’t culminate into a championship, but people who had season tickets, who get into their car in the cold, come down and watch us play, still remember some moments, some regular-season games, a couple playoff games,” Durant reflected. “Some moments that people can hold onto and you can feel that love when I come through here.”
