“Come on man, be your man, don’t follow Kyrie” - Olden Polynice tells Kevin Durant to have a backbone and not bail when things get tough, says he’s another James Harden

Kevin Durant is set to leave the Brooklyn Nets via trade this offseason. [Photo: Sporting News]

Kevin Durant’s stunning decision to ask the Brooklyn Nets to trade him has caused mixed reactions among basketball fans and analysts. Some have called it a brave move on KD’s part for wanting to get out of a toxic situation, while others have called him heartless.

Former NBA player Olden Polynice pointed out a pattern in KD’s recent decisions that could taint his career. On The Odd Couple podcast, the Fox Sports Radio analyst called out Durant’s request to be traded:

“Now you’re another James Harden basically. If you keep running when things get tough, that’s a bad look on anybody’s resume. It’s the fact that things aren’t going well, ‘Well, let me get outta here.’ Things aren’t going well, ‘Well, let me go join the Warriors.’”

June 30, 2019: Kyrie and KD announce they're teaming up on the Nets

June 30, 2022: KD requests trade

😳😳😳 https://t.co/MVqdy0cxD8

James Harden infamously forced the Houston Rockets to trade him during the 2020-21 season. He was acquired by a Brooklyn Nets team that already had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Brooklyn gave up a ton to get “The Beard” only to see the former MVP play his way out of the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Eric Gordon says the Rockets are moving forward after the James Harden trade. https://t.co/gI4gnNYcr4

KD didn’t force a trade out of the OKC Thunder but still received flak for joining a loaded Golden State Warriors team. After years of fruitless campaigns in Oklahoma, Durant promptly won back-to-back NBA titles with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The veteran sports analyst continued:

“I didn’t have a problem with him joining the Warriors, but you don’t join them after what just happened. You’re leaving Brooklyn with four years still on your contract. Come on, man! Be your own man, don’t follow Kyrie.”

Durant’s OKC Thunder team had Steph Curry and the Warriors on the ropes in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. KD carried the Thunder to a 3-1 lead against the 73-9 Warriors but imploded the rest of the way. Instead of doubling down on his team, he bolted out of Oklahoma for Oakland.

Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there's no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant.

With his grand designs of basketball dominance in the NBA shred to tatters by Irving’s unreliability, Kevin Durant is on the move again.

Kevin Durant picked the wrong partner to try and win another NBA title

Kevin Durant's dream of winning championships miserably failed largely due to Kyrie Irving's unreliability. [Photo: NBA.com]

KD left the stability and culture of the Golden State Warriors to try and win a title of his own. He picked the ultra-talented but unreliable Kyrie Irving, a close friend, as his co-superstar.

The Brooklyn Nets were the odds-on favorites to win the NBA championship in the two years the 12X All-Star was healthy. Together, “Kai” and KD have only won one playoff series in two postseasons. The team that they beat in the 2021 playoffs, the Boston Celtics, got their revenge and swept the Nets last season.

The Celtics sweep the Nets 4-0 in Round 1 ☘️

It's the first time Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have ever been swept in the playoffs. https://t.co/YHXJekXSIF

Last season, Durant gallantly tried to carry the Brooklyn Nets afloat until Kyrie Irving was eligible to play. Irving was eventually allowed to play but his absence clearly stifled the team’s chemistry, which was exploited by the Celtics in the playoffs.

I feel that Kyrie Irving ruined the franchise. https://t.co/0aYmwrfBBB

Except in Game 1, Kevin Durant’s partner disappeared the rest of the way, which was a huge reason why they were swept. Three years after leaving the Warriors, KD is once again looking for another team, hopefully with the right partner this time around.