Kevin Durant is taking a shot for a championship. He is holding his fire toward his former team, though perhaps not all his former teammates: He acknowledged Kyrie Irving’s trade request was “tough for me to stomach.”
Durant, formally introduced in Phoenix on Thursday, said he believes the Suns have the making of a championship team.
When he spoke about the Nets, who never got close to that promised land with an incredible assemblage of talent, Durant’s voice began to falter.
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Friday February 17th
Durant and Irving signed with the Nets in summer 2019, then James Harden was added to the mix in January 2021. Little went right. “It was terrible how some stuff went down,” Durant said, without going into much detail, from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, where fans showed up just to welcome him. In all, maybe the most talented Big 3 won one playoff series, and each was shipped out after requesting a trade. Harden engineered a trade to the 76ers in February 2022. Injuries consistently sidelined Durant, while injuries and off-court issues continually took Irving off the court. The Nets traded Durant last week, in the early hours of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, four days after Irving forced his way to Dallas. The point guard and the Nets could not agree on a contract extension. Durant said he did not know the inner workings behind the Irving trade, which “was a blow to our team. It took away our identity.” “I was upset that we couldn’t finish,” said Durant, whose Nets had taken off and emerged as an Eastern Conference contender before his own MCL injury in January and before Irving’s trade demand this month. “I thought we had some good momentum. We were finally building the culture that we always wanted. I felt like every game we were building our chemistry. “That [trade request] was tough for me to stomach. I loved playing with those guys throughout the year. I felt like we had dudes that were stepping up.” Durant, who has not played just since Jan. 8, said he hopes to return soon after the All-Star break and make his debut for a team he believes will have a title shot. “I think we got all the pieces to be successful,” said Durant, who has partnered with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. “We’ve got guys that experienced what it’s like to be part of that final round. … We got to put it together. I’m looking forward to doing the work.” This story initially appeared on the New York Post and was republished with permission.
