Kevin Durant 'excited' about return to Brooklyn as Phoenix Suns face Nets

BROOKLYN – Kevin Durant can find silver linings within an overall disappointing run in Brooklyn when considering the championship expectations for the Nets during his four years there.

“I know people won’t believe it, but it was some fun, fun times playing there,” Durant said Monday.

These memories will resurface in the minds and hearts of many who attend Durant’s return game Wednesday at Barclays Center. There’s sure to be mixed feelings towards Durant, but his Phoenix Suns' teammates hope Nets fans can show appreciation for having one of the best ever rock with their squad.

“He played at an extremely high level there,” Suns star guard Devin Booker said. “No matter what he says or how short his stint was there, I know he impacted and changed people’s lives there forever and the organization. He should be welcomed as such.”

James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Durant only played 16 games together and each forced their way out with trades. Durant was the last of that Big 3 to bounce as the Nets dealt him to the Suns right before last season’s trade deadline after he requested out that previous offseason.

Phoenix and Miami were two of his top choices.

Brooklyn got Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in return, as well as multiple first-round picks. Despite how things turned out, Suns guard Eric Gordon believes Nets fans should “praise” Durant on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Gordon said. “He’s had a great career for sure. In Brooklyn, I know they had high expectations. He did well there. He’s been through a lot when James was there, when Kyrie was there. You got to praise him because he didn’t have to go there. He went there and made things happen.”

Wednesday's game starts at 6:30 p.m., and will be nationally televised on ABC.

“I can’t wait to play in front of that crowd again and see all my friends and family out there,” Durant said.

The Suns (27-20) are coming off a 118-105 victory Monday at Miami in the second of a back-to-back to snap a two-game skid. The Nets (19-27) posted a second straight victory Monday, 147-114, over Utah at home in the return of Ben Simmons, who hadn’t played since Nov. 6 due to nerve issues with his back.

Brooklyn beat Phoenix in the first matchup this season, 116-112, Dec. 13 in Phoenix.

“I’m excited,” Durant said after Monday’s win. “It’s always fun playing in Brooklyn, it’s always fun playing in New York. Can’t wait to see some of the people that I worked with that I got to know over the last four years. New York City has become my favorite city in the world just from me living there for four years. I miss it a lot. I built a lot of bonds and relationships with the people that actually worked in the organization.”

Durant said he “enjoyed” playing in Brooklyn, specifically noting last season under current head coach Jacque Vaughn.

“That was some of the most fun I ever had playing basketball,” Durant said. “It was like-sized players, switching a lot, a lot of tall guys. We were running up and down the floor, playing at our pace every night. That last year, Jacque Vaughn was incredible, the staff was incredible.”

Durant averaged a career-high 29 points on 53.5% shooting, 7.1 rebounds and a career-best 5.8 assists in his three seasons playing with Brooklyn. The Nets were 33-22 when Durant was traded and wound up making the playoffs last season with a 45-37 record.

Durant spent his first season with Brooklyn rehabbing and returning from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals while playing for Golden State.

“Hopefully people can look at some of the great moments that we had there,” Durant said. “I know it was like a couple of regular season games. People who follow Brooklyn Nets, they understood what we went through and those little moments that we had and shared as a team that the fans rallied around. Hopefully they can remember that stuff.”

Booker had fun with the situation when asked about Durant’s return by first saying, ‘no tribute video,' flashed that big smile of his, but how the fans react to him is anybody’s guess in Durant’s opinion.

“It just depends on how the people wake up that morning,” Durant said with a smile. “A lot of people don’t know what to say or how to feel about me. It’s up in the air what may happen. I’m excited that people will come watch the game and support the game.”

Boos still happen

Durant still gets booed in Oklahoma City, as recent as last season, even though it’s been nearly a decade since he last played for the Thunder, but he received a standing ovation in his first game before fans at Golden State in this season’s opener.

The 14-time All-Star left OKC for Golden State and won back-to-back NBA championships. He was voted finals MVP in each one. The Warriors reached three straight finals in Durant’s three seasons there.

Now Durant returns to Brooklyn where he expects to see Suns' faithful in the crowd for what should be an electric atmosphere.

“I know there are going to be some Suns fans,” he said. “It’s fans of every team in the world in New York City so it’s going to be Suns fans that are going to come in there and support us, but I never know how people are going to react. I don’t expect anything from anyone. I just want them to do whatever they do that’s going to allow them to have some fun that night.”

On Sunday, Durant said he didn’t feel deserving of a tribute video from Brooklyn because the team didn’t accomplish enough when he was there. He also doesn’t believe he connected with the fans enough and didn’t play there long enough to warrant one.

“What did I do to deserve that?” Durant said on a tribute video as he initially responded on Twitter to a question about the idea of him receiving one.

“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.”

The Nets only won one playoff series in his two full playing seasons and he was traded during his fourth and final season after signing a four-year, $198-million extension in August 2021.

Durant felt he didn’t have a “lasting impact” in Brooklyn, saying perhaps the only impactful game was Game 5 against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals when he posted a 49-point triple-double equipped with 17 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nets took a 3-2 series lead.

The Bucks won the next two games to take the series and proceeded to win the 2021 Finals over the Suns. The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the 2022 playoffs and Durant left the following season.

He said the team could've done something special ''if we had more time.''

Suns injury update: Allen, Bol questionable

Grayson Allen (right ankle sprain) and Bol Bol (right foot sprain) are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game. Allen injured his ankle in the first half Monday and didn’t return while Bol has missed nine straight games with his latest injury.

Bradley Beal (nasal fracture) is available as he's worn a mask in Phoenix's last two games since going down with a broken nose in last week's loss at Indiana.

Damion Lee (knee) remains out as he hasn’t played all season. He didn’t travel with the team on what will be Phoenix’s longest road trip of the season. The Suns hope he returns by the end of the regular season.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kevin Durant 'excited' about return to Brooklyn as Suns face Nets