Kevin Durant details decision to partner with Kyrie Irving on Nets
The Brooklyn Nets pulled a heist on the rest of the NBA this summer.
While most of the focus centered around whether or not the New York Knicks would be able to sign one or even two max-level free agents, the Nets signed both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to become one of the more imposing teams in the Eastern Conference.
Durant spoke about his friendship with Irving in a recent piece by Michael Lee of The Athletic, saying the organic development of their relationship made it an easy decision to join forces in Brooklyn:
“It’s not like we sat down and I said, ‘Kyrie, you’re my friend.’ It just kind of happened. Anything is possible in life,” Durant said. “We both have mutual respect for somebody. I’ve been following him since high school. I’ve tried to follow him throughout his career. It’s very rare that you get to this point and have a decision in front of us where we can control our destinies. We sat down and talked about it and what basketball meant to us as a whole, and I think this is the perfect spot for us. It was one of those things that just kind of happened organically.”
After spending the last three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has been open about not quite feeling like he was ever part of the established culture in the Bay Area.
Meanwhile, Irving is relishing the opportunity to play closer to home. The All-Star point guard grew up in West Orange, NJ, and will look to show out for his hometown.
NBA fans will have to wait for Durant to heal up before seeing what kind of chemistry the tandem will have on the floor, but their established friendship off the court likely bodes well for their future success.
