NBA superstar Kevin Durant was making his usual rounds on Twitter this week when he encountered a wave of critics who questioned his legacy. Back in 2023, he left the Brooklyn Nets after just two and a half seasons in a disastrous campaign that is still remembered by fans today. In a recent exchange on social media, the 2x champion shed some light on his time in Brooklyn and confirmed the tragic series of events that led to his departure. None of it panned out as Durant had planned.
“Kevin signed his extension with the Nets first. Signaling he wanted it to work in Brooklyn,” read a fan post on X. “At that time, Kyrie and Harden were expected to sign. However, days later, the Nets pulled Irving’s offer because he refused the vaccine. Pulling Irving’s offer was the biggest mistake the Nets made. Once Irving couldn’t sign, Harden decided he wouldn’t sign, even though the offer was still on the table. KD got hurt, and Harden didn’t think Irving was taking winning seriously by refusing to get vaccinated to play.”
For a brief spell, the Nets could be considered one of the best teams in the league with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Together, they formed a powerful offensive trio, but the experience was short-lived after the players (Kyrie Irving specifically) had a falling out with the front office and ownership.
Irving’s refusal to get the vaccine triggered a domino effect that disrupted the entire organization. Even after several early playoff exits, Kevin Durant had every intention of re-signing with the Nets that summer, but once they pulled their contract offer for Kyrie Irving (who was under scrutiny for avoiding the COVID-19 vaccine), it destabilized the entire situation. As the losing continued and the situation turned toxic, Durant felt he had no choice but to leave the Nets to preserve and protect his NBA career.
“Durant had no choice but to leave, the best thing for both sides was to separate. The Nets received a ton of assets and the Suns looked to be a true contender with Durant and Book. Kevin had no choice but to demand a trade. And the Nets did the right thing for the future of the organization and negotiated a godfather offer. This is the reality of the fall of the Nets. Kevin knows it, and Netsfrequent knows it. We all should know it.”
While those are not Durant’s words, he responded with a post that read “Beautifully said,” implying that he agrees with every point that was made. Contrary to popular thinking, it was not by desire that Durant left Brooklyn. Once he saw that what he had built there was falling apart, he saw no other way to proceed than to move on and try his luck elsewhere.
The Nets ended up trading all three of their stars before long, and Durant was the last one to go. Today, the franchise is still trying to recover from the failed super team, but it’s their own mistakes that cost them in the end and led to the collapse of a once-powerful roster.
As for the 2x champion, he has yet to find success since leaving the Warriors, and now he’s on the verge of joining his fourth team in six years. Unless he can achieve some playoff success with his next team, Durant’s legacy will always be held back by what he wasn’t able to accomplish outside of a Warriors jersey. Had things gone differently in Brooklyn, maybe Durant would be in an easier situation today, with a chance to add another feat to his illustrious resume.
