Kevin Durant returned to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the first time since being traded by the Nets to the Phoenix Suns. In his return, Durant was honored by the franchise where he spent three and a half seasons with a tribute video, highlighting his achievements on the franchise and what he meant to the city.
KD received a Nets tribute video on his first game back in Brooklyn 🙏 https://t.co/OR8n3qF31Z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 1, 2024
Durant’s exit was relatively controversial, after making a failed trade request in the summer of 2022 before being dealt after the Kyrie Irving trade before the 2023 trade deadline. On the Nets, Durant averaged 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. The furthest they went in the playoffs was the second round, when injuries led to them failing to beat the eventual champions, Milwaukee Bucks.
KD made one All-NBA team and was an All-Star three times while on the Nets. His era will be remembered for the unfulfilled potential for a variety of factors, as the Nets never delivered on championship expectations despite having the likes of KD, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
Kevin Durant Thought He Didn’t Deserve A Tribute Video
Ahead of his return to Brooklyn, much was made about the possibility of the Nets sharing a tribute video for KD. Durant himself commented on social media by revealing he didn’t want a tribute video.
“What did I do to deserve that? Seriously, or is it because of my name? I’m just another player, man. I don’t deserve none of this extra attention, everybody looking at me when the game starts. The game is about all the players on the court. It ain’t about me. I was there for three years, four years and we didn’t accomplish anything worth being celebrated for. That’s just how I feel… I didn’t feel like I stayed there long enough. I didn’t put in enough work. I didn’t leave a lasting impact.”
KD continued.
“Please don’t. The night will be better without it.”
Tribute videos have been diluted heavily in recent seasons. If you were a star player who played for a different franchise, you’re likely to get a tribute video in your first home game back at that arena after leaving. We’ve seen multiple stars be given this treatment, so it was only natural the Nets did the same for Durant.
KD was the undisputed No. 1 on the Nets roster, even when Harden and Irving were his teammates. He was willing to stick it out in the 2022-23 season after his trade request was denied and helped the franchise start the season 16-4. However, injuries started derailing their season before Kyrie’s eventual trade meant that the KD-Kyrie era was over.
At least the Nets valued KD’s input on his future destination and sent him to Phoenix for a hefty package. Even if the KD Nets peaked in the second round, it was the closest the franchise had come to competing for a championship since the Jason Kidd days in the early 2000s.
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