Kyrie Irving might have derailed Kevin Durant’s chances of winning a championship with the Brooklyn Nets, but ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t feeling sorry for the superstar forward.
Kevin Durant deserves some share of the blame for how disappointing his tenure has been with the Nets alongside Irving, according to Smith.
"I love Kevin Durant. Superstar. But feeling sorry is not the appropriate words that I would apply to him. This is of his doing: You left Golden State to come to Brooklyn to join Kyrie [Irving]."
Stephen A. Smith on Kevin Durant#NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/MiqBJs8H4p
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) February 5, 2023
“I love Kevin Durant. Superstar. But feeling sorry is not the appropriate words that I would apply to him,” Smith said during ESPN’s Saturday NBA coverage. “This is of his doing: You left Golden State to come to Brooklyn to join Kyrie [Irving]. You invested in Kyrie. You believed in Kyrie.”
Irving’s recent trade request might finally end his run with Durant and the Nets. The two paired up in the summer of 2019 and signed with Brooklyn. The Nets were expected to be a championship contender for years to come.
In four seasons, Durant and Irving have led the Nets to just one playoff series win. While Durant has played as well as anyone when he’s been healthy, Irving’s time in Brooklyn has been marred by off-court issues.
“And one could easily argue that he let you down,' Smith continued. “But when did you step up and be assertive enough to say, ‘Stop letting me down. Be on this damn basketball with me and let’s stop with all of these distractions’? Kevin Durant, to my knowledge, hasn’t done that.”
Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 limited him to just 29 games a season ago. The Nets’ guard was suspended for eight games earlier this season after he turned down opportunities to apologize for sharing a link to an anti-semitic movie.
Upon Irving’s return, the Nets started to look like one of the best teams in the NBA. Before Durant suffered a knee injury, Brooklyn was threatening to take the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
When Durant finally comes back from his injury, Irving might no longer be part of the team.
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