Kevin Durant cites short Nets tenure, lack of fan connection as reasons for not wanting tribute video
Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant made waves Sunday when he stated that if the Nets didn’t give him a tribute video when he returns to Barclays Center this Wednesday, it “would be better.”
Durant was responding to a discussion about the topic but he’s now elaborated on why he doesn’t believe he deserves it -- and it has a lot to do with his tenure in Brooklyn.
“What did I do to deserve that?” Durant told reporters about a potential tribute video after his team’s loss on Sunday. “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.”
Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the Nets during the 2019 offseason but an Achilles injury kept KD out for his first season with Brooklyn. In parts of three seasons after, Durant and the Nets went as far as Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. That game saw Durant go for 48 points and come a toe short of sending the eventual champions packing.
In his time with the Nets, Durant averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists over 129 games played.
However, those Nets teams never met the lofty expectations placed on them because on-and off-court issues derailed any title hopes. Brooklyn traded Irving and Durant before the 2023 deadline, ending the future Hall-of-Famer’s time with the Nets.
“I just think if we had more time, for sure, we could’ve did some special s--t, but we didn’t have no time,” Durant said. “Fans can’t connect with that."
Durant added:
“I know when I’m done playing, every team I play for going to want to be attached to me in some way, but when I’m playing right now, it doesn’t make any sense. I’ll wait for all of that stuff when I’m done, but for now, I wasn’t there long enough. Me and the fans didn’t connect enough for me to feel like a part of them. That’s just my thoughts.”
Durant says he doesn’t know what the Nets will do on Wednesday, but the game will be nationally televised, so the NBA world will know soon enough.
