On paper, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are among the most talented players in basketball. They can score at will, make plays for their teammates, and create opportunities where there was nothing before.
Unfortunately, the current crisis in Brooklyn is going to change how people look at their careers, and it’s a reality that league analyst Marc Spears finds extremely disheartening.
In a chat with Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective, he dropped this take on the current situation in Brooklyn:
“These two guys on the basketball court are just like, beautiful, poetic, elite, box office. Kevin Durant’s the best scorer in the world. Kyrie with a basketball is like Curly Neil of 2022. I can’t name five players that I love watching play more than those guys. I just wish it was about basketball, man, because we are missing what should be some of the greatest basketball this league has ever seen. I’ve gotten to know Kevin really well. I think I know Kyrie pretty well. I like them both as people. I hate that this has become them. Like this is the day-to-day. And this is the bed they made, right? Kevin Durant is living in the bay area, those couple years I got to be close and watch him play. I’m blessed to see Steph Curry a lot… but to watch him play is, he’s just the greatest offensive player I’ve ever seen. I hate that this is part of his resume for him, and this is part of Kyrie’s resume.”
“We haven’t talked anything about KD’s jump shot or his ability to or Kyrie’s dribbling skills. It’s all like the reality show my wife watches, man.”
It is a shame that a pair of players as talented as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are being overshadowed by their own drama. Instead of enjoying and appreciating their games, we have to sit back and hear all of this noise about trade demands and ultimatums.
We need to get back to a time when Durant and Irving were just playing ball and leaving all the theatrics at home. Hopefully, wherever they end up next will give them the opportunity to focus strictly on the game.
