<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}.webfeedsFeaturedVisual {	display: None !important;}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <div><img alt="NBA, Bulls, Nets, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Warriors, Steph Curry" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" height="675" src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NBA-Bulls-Nets-Michael-Jordan-Kevin-Durant-Kyrie-Irving-Warriors-Steph-Curry.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear: both;" width="1200"><p>James Harden is officially- and finally- a Brooklyn Net. The Harden saga in Houston ended on Wednesday, as the Nets and Rockets were finally able to come to an agreement in a huge blockbuster trade that left Brooklyn’s bench depleted. Regardless of that, the Nets have their eyes on set on an NBA title run.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-kyrie-irving-kevin-durant-were-all-in-on-james-harden-trade/" target="_blank">The new Big 3 in Brooklyn with James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant</a> is insanely talented. However, questions remain about how Nets GM Sean Marks will fill out the rest of the roster and make this team into a legitimate championship contender for this season and beyond.</p><p>The Harden-Irving-Durant trio is a tough Big 3, but where do they rank all-time in NBA history?</p><h2>5. James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)</h2><p>Remember, fifth ALL-TIME. They are already ahead of some notable Boston Celtics Big 3’s and a handful of Lakers’ trios as well as the Miami Heat’s LeBron-Wade-Bosh group.</p><p>The tough part of ranking them higher is that so many questions swirl around this trio. For example, who plays defense?</p><p>Harden has not played quality defense for a long time. Irving and Durant aren’t the defenders they once were. While their offensive game is perhaps the best of any Big 3 in history, their ability to play defense- or lack thereof- is a huge concern going forward.</p><p>Harden, Irving, and Durant- and what Charles Barkley nicknamed the “Dribble Brothers”- is going to be a tough task going forward. The talent is there, but pressing questions remain about their defensive ability.</p><p>The Nets’ new Big 3 can certainly bring an NBA title to Brooklyn, and even one title for a franchise and fanbase so desperate for a Larry O’Brien trophy would make this gamble worth it.</p><h2>4. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)</h2><p>While the Warriors were arguably the greatest team ever assembled, it might be a surprise to see them at number four on this list. However, the next three will make you realize that this ranking is much deserved.</p><p>If Kevin Durant <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/nets/2020/12/21/nets-kevin-durant-warriors-nba-season-opener/3996526001/" target="_blank">never got injured in the 2019 NBA playoff run</a>, this Warriors group could’ve very well been the first 3-peat since the Lakers in the early 2000’s.</p><p>While the Curry-Thompson “Splash Brothers” were dangerous enough, adding a top-5 talent in Durant made this offense unstoppable. What helped them more than that was also Klay and Steph’s ability to play quality defense, and Durant by no means was a pushover on that end of the floor.</p><p>Durant has now been a part of two of the best big three’s in the history of the NBA, and who can forget the Westbrook-Harden-Durant trio in Oklahoma City?</p><p>In retrospect, the 2016-2019 Warriors squad was really a Big Four, with Draymond Green a do-it-all player that any coach would die to have on their squad.</p><h2>3. Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Derek Fisher (Los Angeles Lakers)</h2><p>While the Kobe and Shaq era was the most exciting thing to happen in Lakerland, Derek Fisher was a huge part of their NBA title runs year in and year out.</p><p>This Los Angeles Big 3 has a lot of competition- with Worthy, Kareem, and Magic also an unstoppable force- but Kobe and Shaq alone were impossible to contain.</p><p>Kobe will go down in history as one of the best players to ever play the game, and Shaq is arguably cemented in the top 10 players of all-time debate.</p><p>This trio owned the NBA at the turn of the century and won three straight titles as the Lakers started their streak of five in ten years. Fisher has always been touted as one of the more clutch players in the league, and he seems to get overlooked when discussing Lakers legends.</p><p>After all, who could forget Derek Fisher’s literal walk-off buzzer-beater with 0.4 left against San Antonio?</p><h2>2. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs)</h2><p>This trio had the most longevity of any of the Big 3’s mentioned, and who can blame them?</p><p>The Spurs won four of their five Finals trips with this group, and while Parker and Ginobili aren’t the bonafide superstars like the other names on this list, their chemistry and connection with Duncan made this group unbeatable at times.</p><p>Of course, having Gregg Popovich as the head coach is definitely helpful, but this bunch played as well as any Big 3 ever.</p><p>All three played excellent defense, Ginobili torched opposing bench units as he repeatedly competed for the Sixth Man of the Year. Parker’s patience and ability to read the floor and the defense allowed for many easy Spurs buckets.</p><p>The Spurs made the NBA playoffs in each of the 13 years that these three were together, and that’s nearly impossible to do in any era. San Antonio shuffled new faces in and out, but the Duncan-Parker-Manu trio never faltered.</p><p>Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili recorded the most wins by any threesome in NBA history with 575 regular-season victories. They also posed 126 postseason wins together before they decided to hang up their jerseys and played together for 730 total games.</p><p>The continuity and success of this particular big 3 was second-t0-none, and something we probably will never see again in the history of the NBA.</p><h2>1. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman (Chicago Bulls)</h2><p>Is this really a surprise?</p><p>This core went 3 for 3 in their NBA Finals Appearances, and Michael Jordan is still the greatest player ever in the NBA.</p><p>Chicago was already a contender and a championship team before adding Dennis Rodman, so he just made them that much better.</p><p>Pippen will go down as one of the best defenders ever to play the game, and Rodman’s toughness and tenacity were just what the Bulls wanted. Jordan won three Finals MVP’s and two of his five regular-season MVP’s with Rodman by his side.</p><p>Chicago won 72 games in 1996 and 69 in 1997, and only played a Game 7 one time with these three together.</p><p>While it’s hard to argue with the greatness of the Spurs, Lakers, and Warriors, the Bulls are by far the best big three in the history of the NBA.</p><h2>Back to the Nets</h2><p>While the Nets at 5th might be a bit of a question mark, they can certainly jump some teams. With that being said, they could disappoint and be far off the top 10 list.</p><p>Kyrie, Durant, and Harden might be the best offensive group of all-time, but the defense is severely lacking and could prevent them from winning any championship for Brooklyn.</p><p>While the group has yet to play a game, the excitement around the Barclays Center and the NBA, in general, is buzzing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><h2></h2><p> </p><p> </p><p>The post <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/where-do-kevin-durant-james-harden-kyrie-irving-rank-among-greatest-nba-big-3s-of-all-time/" rel="nofollow">Where do Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving rank among greatest NBA Big 3s of all time?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com" rel="nofollow">ClutchPoints</a>.</p></div>    </body></html>

Where do Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving rank among greatest NBA Big 3s of all time?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kevin-Durant-is-In-the-same-space-he-was-in-when-he-left-the-Warriors.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Durant inhabits the same space he was in when he left the Warriors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T13:24:24-08:00">January 15th, 1:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T13:25:52-08:00">January 15th, 1:25pm</time><address><a>Brad Washington</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Durant, formerly of the Golden State Warriors and now with the Brooklyn Nets, might know that on Tyler The Creator’s Grammy-Award winning album IGOR, there is a 14-second interlude titled “EXACTLY WHAT YOU RUN FROM YOU END UP CHASING.”</p><p>Via <a href="https://genius.com/Tyler-the-creator-exactly-what-you-run-from-you-end-up-chasing-lyrics">Genius</a>, here are the words of the interlude provided by comedian Jerrod Carmichael. </p><blockquote>“Exactly what you run from, you end up chasing. Like, you can’t avoid, but just chasing it and just like trying. Giving it everything that you can. There’s always an obstacle<i>.”</i></blockquote><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-video-kevin-durant-drops-trailer-for-basketball-county-documentary/">Fourteen seconds</a> sometimes is all you need within a song for a point to get across. For me, this song comes to mind when I think about Kevin Durant and his new superteam in Brooklyn. </p><p>Kevin Durant has always stated he wants stability. It was what supposedly attracted him to the Golden State Warriors. But even with a great coach, superstar teammates, and a supportive front office, Durant was not enough to strike against Golden State’s strong current. He wanted recognition that he was better than LeBron James: it did not happen. He wanted more isolation play and to be seen as better than Steph Curry. Nope, it did not come to fruition. </p><p>So even with everything lined up for Kevin Durant, what he ran from in Oklahoma City (Russell Westbrook provided numerous grounds for instability) he ended up chasing in Golden State: instability. </p><p>Many sports pundits were skeptical of Durant’s decision to pair up with Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. This season, we see that Irving has no interest in being a team player-even for Durant’s sake. Kevin Durant knew this: see: Irving’s exit from Cleveland and Boston. </p><p>Still, Kevin Durant went there knowing Irving’s shortcomings. Just like Durant went to Golden State, apparently naive that the media would never see him as better than LeBron and that Golden State will always be Steph’s team. </p><p>Now enter James Harden, whom Kevin Durant pushed for to join him in Brooklyn. Now Durant is back to where he was in Oklahoma, where he had to share credit and blame with Russell Westbrook. The same spot with Golden State, where he thought he deserved more recognition. Why does Durant continue to do this to himself?</p><p>My theory? It is pretty simple: Kevin Durant may enjoy instability more than he enjoys winning. No way he could think that bringing Harden on is a great idea. Interesting? Yes. But is it necessary for the circumstances? Not a chance: he is still trying to jell with his new teammates, with first-year coach Steve Nash, and finally found Kyrie Irving. The Nets should not have touched a player of Harden’s caliber with a ten-foot pole with so much dysfunction already. </p><p>But here we are.  </p><p>Kevin Durant is now chasing what he ran from in Golden State. He wanted credit; now, the masses may pit him, Harden, and Irving against each other. He wanted to be the alpha, too. But Harden spent years in Houston being the top dog. While Harden wants to win, he is still in his prime. Distributing duties of who dominates the ball between Harden, Durant, and Irving will not be comfortable. </p><p>But who knows, this experiment may work out for the Nets and Kevin Durant. The three players may become blissful together and succeed. But history loves to repeat itself, as Irving just proved this notion by going AWOL. </p><p>But and if it fails, there is a strong chance Kevin Durant will now have the instability which chases. I compare Durant to a tortured artist, always looking and fighting for recognition, when he already has it. But like at Golden State, NBA fans knew better, and most know better now with his new superteam where Durant is moving as if he is clueless. </p><p>Brooklyn is now attractive, no doubt. However, it may be a recipe for destruction. Not that Kevin Durant cares, anyway.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant inhabits the same space he was in when he left the Warriors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Warriors-rumors-Kevin-Durant-warned-James-Harden-against-playing-for-Steve-Kerr-THumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Kevin Durant warned James Harden against playing for Warriors’ Steve Kerr</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T05:45:56-08:00">January 15th, 5:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T05:49:37-08:00">January 15th, 5:49am</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the whole James Harden trade saga coming to an end on Wednesday, rumors have now emerged regarding the Golden State Warriors and their role in the rumors. As it turns out, however, former Dubs star and Harden’s new Brooklyn Nets teammate Kevin Durant allegedly told Harden early on that based on his own experience, playing under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wasn’t exactly a dream scenario.</p><p>Here’s a transcript of a conversation between NBA insiders Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons, and Jackie MacMullan in a recent episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast (h/t <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-told-james-harden-he-might-not-steve-kerr">Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area</a>):</p><blockquote>Simmons: “The sleeping giant of this whole Harden sweepstakes was Golden State. And I don’t think they were in it. But if they had decided to get into it …”Russillo: “I heard he, um … he was not … he and [Kevin] Durant are close, and Durant wanted him to leave (Houston). So I think there was some communication …”Simmons: “There was some Steve Kerr stuff.”Russillo: “Yeah, that you might not want to play for him. Which sounds insane that Durant could complain about anything with Golden State, but it sounds like he did.”MacMullan: “Well, but the only complaint that Kevin Durant had about Golden State was he wasn’t Steph Curry, and he never was gonna be Steph Curry in that market. And no matter what he did and how many championships they won, Steph Curry was still the guy.”</blockquote><p>Harden was linked to the Warriors early on, with the Dubs reportedly putting in an inquiry on Harden. However, nothing ever got close and there apparently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-rumors-golden-state-called-rockets-james-harden-trade-before-klay-thompson-injury/" rel="noopener">wasn’t even a concrete offer put on the table.</a> Then the Dubs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-rumors-golden-state-no-longer-trading-for-james-harden/" rel="noopener">backed off entirely.</a></p><p>Whether or not Durant’s advice played a role in talks not progressing is a mystery. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumblings about KD having issues with Kerr,</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: Kevin Durant warned James Harden against playing for Warriors’ Steve Kerr

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets stars Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant showed ‘conviction’ to work with James Harden</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T19:38:51-08:00">January 14th, 7:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T19:41:12-08:00">January 14th, 7:41pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the biggest concerns in the wake of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/brooklyn-nets">Brooklyn Nets</a>’ recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-nets-trade-for-rockets-superstar-james-harden/" rel="noopener">coup</a> on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/james-harden/b25d09c6">James Harden</a> is whether or not he can co-exist with the Nets’ two other superstars in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kevin-durant/b0360985">Kevin Durant</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kyrie-irving/a5ba0900">Kyrie Irving</a>. Unsurprisingly, both Durant and Irving were reportedly all-in on bringing Harden to Brooklyn in the hours leading up to the blockbuster trade.</p><p>Nets general manager Sean Marks himself shared how he consulted with KD and Kyrie before pulling the trigger on the deal, and how their conviction towards working with Harden proved to be a key factor in Brooklyn going through with the trade:</p><blockquote>“[I was] getting their thoughts and really wanting to hear what their commitment was going to be, what their conviction was,” Marks said in a news conference Thursday, via <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30712240/brooklyn-nets-gm-sean-marks-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-committed-gelling-james-harden">Malika Andrews of ESPN</a>. “I enjoyed hearing that conviction, and we’ve got some time to see how it translates on the court.”</blockquote><p>This isn’t surprising considering Durant and Harden were once teammates with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>. This may have been many years ago, but the pair established a lasting friendship during their time together in OKC.</p><p>As for Irving, we’re just glad he’s on speaking terms with the Nets. The All-Star point guard has been at the center of some <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-rumors-kyrie-irving-to-join-kevin-durant-james-harden-at-some-point/" rel="noopener">controversy</a> of late, with his alleged desire not to play basketball.</p><p>It goes without saying, however, that showing conviction doesn’t necessarily mean that this experiment will work. It’s a great first step, but this new trio will need to figure out how to play with each other before we even talk about contending for a championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets stars Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant showed ‘conviction’ to work with James Harden

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/chuck.jpg"></figure><h1>Charles Barkley’s hilarious new nickname for Kevin Durant’s new star backcourt on Nets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T17:57:22-08:00">January 14th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T17:58:09-08:00">January 14th, 5:58pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Charles Barkley knows that Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets has played with multiple star-studded backcourt throughout his NBA career.</p><p>He won two championships with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Golden State Warriors, and now he’ll hoop alongside James Harden and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>When discussing the Harden trade on TNT on Thursday, analyst Charles Barkley dropped a new nickname for <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1349881146037862402">Brooklyn’s backcourt.</a></p><blockquote>“KD went from the Splash Brothers to the Dribble Brothers,” Barkley cracked.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Chuck’s comments are referencing the stark contrast — and related chemistry concerns — that comes with pairing two of the league’s most ball-dominant players with a gifted scorer and iso machine like Kevin Durant.</p><p>Curry, Thompson, and Durant’s ability to play off-ball as elite catch-and-shoot specialists enabled the Warriors to produce an unstoppable, cohesive offensive attack. In 2016-17, Kevin Durant’s first season in the Bay Area, the Warriors finished with a historically good offensive rating of 116.3 before rolling through the postseason. Golden State’s offense remained elite for the following two seasons, resulting in another title and Finals appearance.</p><p>Harden and Irving’s shared prowess with the ball has resulted in sky-high usage rates for multiple seasons, and their ability to individually break down defenders is one of the signature elements of their games. Whether Irving will embrace a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/will-kyrie-irving-handle-being-nets-3rd-banana-sanely-after-james-harden-trade/">third-banana</a> role — and show up to work — is another concern, too, related to Kevin Durant.</p><p>Earlier on Thursday, Nets GM Sean Marks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-nets-james-harden-outlook-on-sacrifice-with-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving/">sought to quell</a> the worries of Barkley and others about the three stars meshing, with Kevin Durant in the mix.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sean Marks says James Harden has said he’s all about winning as it pertains to usage rate and sharing the ball. Marks said Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all agreed sacrifice is necessary to win big.</p><p>— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) <a href="https://twitter.com/Krisplashed/status/1349760581260242946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The 7-6 Nets, whose season was already disrupted by Kevin Durant having to quarantine for a period of time, are still without Irving, who has missed the last five games for “personal reasons” and is being investigated for violating the league’s health and safety protocols.</p><p>Harden should make his Nets debut on Saturday, against the Orlando Magic. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, looks to have regained his MVP-caliber form since returning from an Achilles injury. Through nine games, KD has averaged 29.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on red hot .537/.462/.859 shooting splits.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Charles Barkley’s hilarious new nickname for Kevin Durant’s new star backcourt on Nets

LeBron James

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Nets stars Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant showed ‘conviction’ to work with James Harden

Charles Barkley’s hilarious new nickname for Kevin Durant’s new star backcourt on Nets