“He’s looking into the rear-view mirror, instead of at the windshield” - Jalen Rose on Kevin Durant wanting OKC and the Warriors to retire his jerseys
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant made a bold declaration after their narrow loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, saying it would be a travesty if the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder do not retire his jersey. While Jalen Rose does not have a counterview, he views the statement as Durant looking back because there is no hope for the team to win a championship this year.
Kevin Durant wants his jersey retired by OKC and Golden State 👀 https://t.co/Th8i1Qa6HV
The Nets are currently ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference standings but are tied with the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets in win-loss percentage. Any slip-up might have the team needing to play two knockout games in the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs.
On the latest episode of ESPN's Jaylen & Jacoby show, Jaylen reacted to KD’s comments. The former NBA star found it a tad amusing, before going on to say his bit.
"Talk your ish KD I ain't mad. I'm noticing something. Like I said, as the league has had a changing of the god, and Kevin Durant because of injury is not a part of the MVP conversation. And Kevin Durant and LeBron James aren't in the championship race, they now have to be in reflection mode. That's what you're seeing right now."
"Absolutely, OKC is going to retire his number. He won MVP with them. Yes, the Golden State Warriors should retire his number because he won back-to-back Finals MVPs with them. But you notice he's looking in the rear-view mirror instead of at the windshield."
Rose gave reasons as to why he believes Durant is in reflection mode, stating that Durant sees that they won't be able to win a championship even though Kyrie Irving has returned full-time. After sounding off on their championship aspirations, he continued:
"If they don't have Ben Simmons playing at an All-Star level, they will be a glorified first-round exit. That's what I see."
With only five games left in the season, the Nets will have to hit top gear for a spot in the playoffs. They have to put themselves in the best position to qualify by finishing in the top eight. That way, even if they lose the 7th-8th matchup in the play-in, they will have another chance of qualifying as the 8th seed.
Kevin Durant is desperate for his first championship with the Brooklyn Nets
Since leaving the Golden State Warriors, Durant has not gotten close to winning a championship. Although he was the Finals MVP during his two trips to the Finals with the Warriors, his success has been attributed to him playing alongside superstars like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Durant is desperate to prove that he can win without that Warriors team but is yet to find success in that regard. His team were the favorites to win the title last year, but injuries to teammates like James Harden and Kyrie Irving cost him the conference semi-finals series.
The two-time NBA champ was having an MVP-caliber season before getting sidelined by injury. Given how things have turned out in Brooklyn, their chances of winning the title this year are slim despite coming into the season as championship favorites.