Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated had a brief talk with Charles Barkley on the prospect of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joining forces to play for the New York Knicks this upcoming summer, but the Hall of Famer doesn't think they have what it takes to make it in The Big Apple.
“You ain’t tough enough to play in New York,” Barkley told Traina when asked of the advice he'd give Durant about potentially signing with the Knicks. “I don't think Durant or Kyrie are tough enough to play in New York. Kyrie's a very good player. Kevin's a great, great player. But I'm not sure they have the mental make up to play in New York. Those guys are complaining about the media asking questions. Maybe New York isn't for them.”
Both Durant and Irving have had a tough go with relentless pressure from the media about their impending free agency, and unfortunately for them, it could get worse if they're left alone to face the wild jungle that is the New York sports and entertainment media.
While neither would be facing contractual questions if they signed long-term, there's plenty of crevices to pick from throughout an arduous 82-game season, where their performance, mental state and their mettle will be meticulously evaluated throughout not only six months, but the full calendar year.
Durant and Irving are both in big NBA markets, but nothing equals the pressure of having to deliver for a franchise that has only won one playoff series in the last 20 years — and if they beg to differ, they have another thing coming.
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