Kyrie Irving got very candid about his time on the Brooklyn Nets alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden after Irving and Harden faced off in the Mavericks vs. Clippers game. Irving reflected on what the trio could’ve achieved with a hilarious analogy, comparing the trio to ‘the girl that got away’.
“It’s unfortunate that me, James, and KD are part of NBA history ‘what if’s’ of having a superteam and expectations on us. We had a few good seasons, but outside the things we couldn’t control with the vaccine stuff and the scenarios and circumstances, I think we did pretty well… It’s kind of like the girl that got away. It’ll hurt you for the rest of your life. Looking back, you got a great bad wife, kids, and all that and you’re like, ‘Tss.’ I don’t second guess it, I don’t wanna get in trouble with my wife. ‘I’m not thinking about nobody else, baby.’ But it feels like FOMO, like you missed out on something.”
“It’s unfortunate that me, James, and KD are part of NBA history ‘what if’s…’ It’s kind of like the girl that got away. It’ll hurt you for the rest of your life. Looking back, you got a great bad wife, kids, and all that and you’re like, ‘Tss.’ I don’t wanna second guess it, I… pic.twitter.com/bBgSuiVtdL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 26, 2023
All NBA fans in the world would agree with what Irving said after what the Nets achieved in the short period of time the three stars were playing together. They went 13-3 in games all of them were healthy in and stood a very real chance at winning the 2021 title if not for both Irving and Harden getting injured in the playoffs.
The wheels would fall off the bus after that season, as the COVID vaccine mandate was enforced and Irving refused to play games. This led to James Harden requesting a trade and getting it, going to the 76ers for Ben Simmons. Eventually, it all collapsed, with Irving, Durant, and Harden now on different teams in the Western Conference.
The Brooklyn Nets Couldn’t Manage Multiple Star Egos
When you put together a star-heavy team, it’s important to remember that their personalities won’t be as easy to manage as other NBA players. The Nets had three outspoken stars with Durant, Irving, and Harden, who never shied away from doing what they wanted and telling the media what they wanted. As a result, there were a lot of things that went wrong before February 2023 when the Nets officially traded everyone away.
The 2021-22 season was doomed for the franchise after the COVID-19 vaccine mandate led to Kyrie sitting out until New York lifted the mandate. Due to this, Harden ended up requesting a trade to the 76ers, which was granted, bringing the Nets’ Ben Simmons as the prize in return. Simmons’ injury troubles meant he wouldn’t really contribute on the court.
After trade requests from both Irving and Durant were denied in the 2022 offseason, the Nets started the 22-23 season really well, going 12-1 in December as a top seed in the East. An injury to Durant took their momentum away, with Irving requesting a trade again in February after failing to agree on a contract extension. This time, the Nets acquiesced and sent Irving to the Dallas Mavericks.
Durant had no choice but to follow suit, with the Nets sending him to the Phoenix Suns for a massive trade package.
The flashes we saw from this trio showed a championship dynasty. The flashes from just KD and Kyrie made them undoubted contenders in the East, so naturally, they’ll all look at it as a missed opportunity. Thankfully, Irving and Durant have won championships before and are contending for more still, but it’s not like the on-paper juggernaut the Nets had become.
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