The biggest “what if” in NBA history. That's how the Brooklyn Nets' Big 3 of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant will be remembered. The historically-efficient offensive trio lasted not even one full season before falling apart when Harden forced his way to the Philadelphia 76ers at last year's trade deadline.

The trade marked the second time in less than two years that Harden forced his way off a team. The Sixers guard opened up about his discontent with Brooklyn leading up to his trade demand in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports' Yaron Weitzman.

“I don't mean to, like, just down talk to anybody or whatever. It was just, there was no structure,” Harden said of his time with the Nets. “And even superstars, they need structure. That's what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations.”

“I just feel like, internally, things weren't what I expected when I was trying to get traded there,” he continued. “I think everybody knows that. And I knew people were going to talk and say, ‘You quit' and all that stuff, but then the following summer, the other superstar there [Durant] wanted to leave. So it's like: Am I still the quitter?”

James Harden's comments regarding Brooklyn's lack of structure would not come as a surprise to anyone following the team last season. Kyrie Irving's refusal to comply with New York's workplace vaccine mandate forced him to miss over half the season and put the Nets in an untenable situation from the jump.

Kevin Durant spoke at Nets media day about his issues with the Nets' coaching staff leading up to his own trade request and call for head coach Steve Nash to be fired this summer. The former MVP detailed his desire for all players to be “held accountable for their habits as basketball players,” something he felt was not happening in Brooklyn last season.

Nash was subsequently fired just seven games into this season after a 2-5 start. And while Harden drew comparisons between his and Durant's trade request, numerous reports indicate they took vastly different approaches throughout Brooklyn's chaotic 2021-22 season.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski detailed the disparity between the co-stars' physical condition heading into the season in a story following Harden's departure.

“From the moment Harden reported to training camp this fall, the Nets knew they could have trouble. Durant arrived in San Diego at a world-class level, fresh off brilliant springtime playoffs and Summer Olympics performances and ready to commit to the Nets and his co-stars with a new extension for the next four years,” the story reads. “It was not reciprocal. Harden was heavy and out of shape, and intrigued with the idea of free agency for the first time in his career.”

A later story from ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz said Durant was “astonished” with Harden's lackluster play and poor physical condition early in the season, a development that drew a wedge between the two teammates.

“Durant was astonished in the opening weeks of the season at Harden's lack of explosiveness and sluggish play, something he attributed in large part to Harden's being out of shape, as he did the ensuing hamstring issues,” Arnovitz said. “Harden, sources say, found Durant's slant grating and self-righteous. The two never resolved the conflict, and there was little that teammates, coach Steve Nash or Marks could do to mediate it.”

Now, to the question Harden offered regarding Durant's trade request: “Am I still the quitter?”

There's a reason many, myself included, slapped the “quitter” label on Harden but not Durant. And the simple explanation is, similar to his departure from Houston, Harden's vehicle to getting his way was quite literally quitting on the floor in games. I detailed the guard's astonishing lack of effort during a four-point, six-turnover performance in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, Harden's final game as a Net.

On top of this, Shelburne and Wojnarowski reported displeasure among Harden's teammates regarding his partying during Brooklyn's West Coast trip despite a supposed hamstring injury.

“Harden also had to change his lifestyle and help himself. It wasn't lost on teammates that Harden continued his late-night social activities, especially on the Nets' last Western Conference trip this month,” the NBA insiders reported. “His play, often dispassionate and sloppy, culminated with a four-point performance in a loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Maybe Harden could maintain this lifestyle in his 20s, but it wasn't working now. For a player purporting to have a hand and hamstring injury, this wasn't inspiring confidence within a team in freefall.”

While Durant later revealed he shared similar discontent regarding Nets management and coaches last season, the 12-time All-Star played the year out and waited until the offseason to seek a new home. There was no reason to question Durant's effort or buy-in on the court despite the miserable state of the team behind the scenes.

Now, nearly a year removed from Harden's departure, Durant remains the engine for a Nets team that has posted the league's best record (11-3) over their last 14 games. The fourth-year Net is averaging 30.0 points per game while leading the league in field goal percentage (55.9) among 25 players attempting 18 or more shots per game.

Harden is returning from a tendon strain in his foot and hoping to lead the 15-12 Sixers back up the Eastern Conference standings alongside Joel Embiid. However, neither team appears to be on the same level as the league-leading Boston Celtics (22-7).

With the dust having settled from last season's Brooklyn implosion, it remains to be seen whether Harden or Durant will reach the NBA's highest stage in the near future, something they set out to do when they decided to join forces two short years ago.