Kevin Durant took the floor before a sellout crowd in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Two years removed from the trade that sent him to the Suns and crushed the Nets' title hopes, he said playing at Barclays Center remains a special experience.

“I just try to come here and put a show on and be the best I can be. This is my favorite arena, one of my favorite arenas. After Footprint, it's my second favorite arena in the league,” Durant said. “It’s just being in New York. Knowing that the people here actually like basketball. There’s a lot of fanbases that don’t like ball as much as they should, in my opinion. But New Yorkers love the game of basketball.

“Sometimes it would be awkward for them cheering a good play for the other team, but you can appreciate that they enjoy seeing a good play. That’s probably the main reason [I like Barclays so much], just the passion that you feel when you walk in here.”

As he did during his return to Brooklyn last season, Durant looked like his All-NBA self, posting 24 points and eight rebounds during a 108-84 Suns win. A sea of purple jerseys drowned out a subdued Nets crowd.

The loss, Brooklyn's ninth in its last 10 games, was a reminder of how far the team has fallen since Durant's tenure.

Kevin Durant reveals fond memories of Nets tenure during return to Brooklyn

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots the ball as Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) defends during the first half at Barclays Center.
John Jones-Imagn Images

The Nets were the NBA's top story when Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the team in 2019. Their acquisition of James Harden at the 2021 trade deadline made them title favorites. However, injuries derailed a promising 2021 playoff run, and Irving's refusing to adhere to the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates did the same the following season. Harden asked out at the 2022 deadline, with Irving and Durant following him one year later.

While his Nets tenure saw just one playoff series win, Durant defied expectations after returning from an Achilles tear. He played some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 54/40/91 shooting splits over 129 appearances.

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Despite the dysfunction, he said his time in Brooklyn was “the most fun he had in a long time.”

“I wouldn’t say there’s just one lesson I learned. I just really appreciate my time here. I didn’t know how it would feel moving into New York, living in New York, playing basketball in New York. I was a little nervous, to be honest, to move here,” Durant said. “But once I got settled in and figured out my routine here, it was the most fun I had in a long time playing ball. I’ll tell you that. So I wouldn’t say it was just one lesson, but I just really enjoyed myself. Regardless of the chaos that was going around, I had a great time suiting up and putting on for these fans and for the borough of Brooklyn.”

While the Nets have fallen from title contention to the league's basement since Durant's departure, they're set up to bounce back quickly. They lead the NBA with 31 draft picks over the next seven years, including 15 first-round picks. Most of that capital is tied to their Durant trade.

After flipping Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks this summer, Brooklyn's return for Durant grew to nine first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks. They can add to that at this year's deadline as they field offers for Cam Johnson, who is among the NBA's most sought-after trade targets during a career-best season.

Brooklyn is also the NBA's only team with significant cap space this summer (estimated $60-70 million). While Durant has moved past his Nets tenure as he chases another title in Phoenix, he's rooting for his former team from afar.

“Definitely, I want to see this franchise do well,” he said. “What is it, 12 or 13 picks that they’ve got? Assets, that’s the most important thing with a rebuilding group is the assets. The product on the floor, it might be inconsistent some games. They beat us early in the season and looked great, and then you lose to the Clippers by 40 or 50 and that might not look great.

“But when you look at the big picture, you’ve got young guys that are getting experience and playing time. You’re building assets and getting future picks. And hopefully, you can draft well and put the team together well. So I think they’re walking in the right direction. I think the fans definitely want to see some great basketball on the floor, and I think it’s coming for this team.”