The paradox of Kevin Durant leaving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant will go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history. His dead-eyed consistency as a scorer makes him the most feared NBA superstar right now.
The career decisions Kevin Durant have made have changed the NBA power structure wherever he’s landed, and after so many warranted expectations in Brooklyn, will leaving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets resound as his biggest career mistake?
As the world shuffles to go about business as usual in the COVID-19 pandemic, will Kyrie Irving and his decision to remain unvaccinated not only tarnish his NBA career legacy but also affect Kevin Durant personally and professionally?
Kevin Durant is shooting 71% from midrange this season. Cheat code. https://t.co/mvkM04uWRH
Round 1: Golden State 117, Brooklyn 99 in Brooklyn
Many will put too much stock in the scorchingly hot Golden State Warriors’ 117-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 16 as the primary reason, or better yet, a reminder of how great Kevin Durant had it in Oakland.
Despite not even a quarter of the season being played, fans see in the Warriors what should be happening in Brooklyn. The "what if" whispers boomed after the loss to Golden State, and Durant, being so matter-of-fact, will process the loss and add inspiration in his own way.
He's picked himself up before.
While playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and with Russell Westbrook at his side, Kevin Durant had to endure a summer of ridicule before deciding to join a Warriors team that just took the Thunder out in seven games. It worked out for Kevin Durant – who won two NBA titles and two Finals MVP awards in three healthy seasons by the Bay.
A torn Achilles tendon, some team issues where his free agency became a distraction, and it was off to Brooklyn to rock with Kyrie Irving and eventually another superstar in James Harden to form one of the best trios the sport has seen.
This is in the throes of a pandemic, so nothing truly connected as planned, and NBA fans wondered if the championship many wanted to see would ever materialize in anything cynical and realistic.
A playoff exit orchestrated by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the eventual world champion Milwaukee Bucks left a putrid taste that could only be dispelled as the 2021-22 NBA season began anew.
Kyrie Irving's dramatic summer
Kyrie Irving then became the most talked about man in sports and the face of those seeking clarification regarding vaccinations as the state of New York became one of the first states to require proof of vaccination to enter large events. The Brooklyn Nets brass shut down Kyrie Irving until this is all sorted out, and despite an 11-5 start, the air of invincibility has all but dissipated.
Or has it?
James Harden seems to be turning a physical corner. He and Kevin Durant are as formidable a duo as any, and if the Brooklyn Nets are able to maintain a level of defensive consistency, the Eastern Conference is great for the taking.
There’s just one thing: Irving is not a part of this. Will he ever be a part of this?
Longtime sports content creator and all-around sharp dude, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, details how Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to play together: “These guys had this plan to become Brooklyn Nets’ teammates when they went on vacation with their friends in summer of ’18. It was talked about that ‘what would it be like if we became teammates?’
"They were somewhere tropical, and they were having that conversation – a homegrown conversation. Then they ultimately agreed to get it done NBA All-Star weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2019. I was at a Jordan Brand party with them where they were inseparable and that 'what if?' conversation was a continuation from that summer.
"When you look at the last two years with Kevin out with the Achilles, and Kyrie with the thoracic bursitis, then last year, they came up short in Milwaukee. I feel as though the Milwaukee Bucks loss was disappointing, because last year was their legitimate window before the very staunch covid protocol that we’re in now.
"You can’t predict the weather, and in this situation with Kyrie wanting to be in the fold in this current day is disappointing”, Robinson explains.
Kevin Durant took 12 shots tonight. He finished with 30 points.
He’s the first Nets player to score 30+ on 90% shooting in the last 40 seasons.
KD leads the NBA with 29.5 PPG on 58.5 FG% this season. https://t.co/kPdZe5PZng
Taking it personal?
This is where the personal collides with the professional. Despite an agreement to join forces and win the East, how long will Kyrie be out? Will this juggernaut trio ever play another second together? That remains to be seen.
Kyrie Irving has dreamed of success with the Nets many times before now, and with a ringer in Kevin Durant, that dream looked like an inevitable reality.
More from Scoop B.
“I think it’s even more disappointing, because he grew up a New Jersey Nets fan living in West Orange. Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin were his muse.
"And I think if the Nets do not win a championship in the next year and some change, it will be interesting to see how fans react to it being his plan in getting Kevin to come, Harden ultimately coming, and they come up short,” Robinson concludes.
Ah, paradox No. 1. Irving returns as the prodigal son, yet team success is potentially elusive. For now, Kevin Durant has to remain who he is and trust that his teammates respond to his lead by example.
Say it doesn't work out in Brooklyn and the Golden State Warriors return to the pinnacle, will Kevin Durant regret leaving Steph Curry for Kyrie Irving? Should he?
Professional athletes in the social media era look to have more control over how their legacies are written. While Kevin Durant wouldn't be human if he didn't entertain the thought of staying with the Warriors, his only chance to change that perception is to win in Brooklyn.
Golden State will be seen as a destination many players seek to join, yet when a playing legend like Kevin Durant has won everything he possibly could in such a short time, why not go elsewhere with hopes of duplicating the Warriors' success for a franchise that hasn't won a hoops title since Julius Erving starred for the ABA's New York Nets?
The paradox of Kevin Durant
The second paradox would be Kevin Durant leaving Oakland, Calif., for Brooklyn pastures, and what will transpire with the Nets.
Will the Nets build what the Warriors have done in everything dynastic? Will Steph Curry scorch the NBA earth again and win MVP this season? Would Golden State roll even more if Kevin Durant was still a Warriors mercenary?
It must also be noted that the one award that has eluded Durant is the MVP trophy. While winning MVP does nothing to illuminate a true team success for any team not winning the NBA title, an MVP on his mantle would solidify Kevin Durant as one of the best players of his generation.
All it takes now is for Kyrie Irving, a man ESPN writer Scoop Jackson said he'd take second all-time in a fantasy pick-up game after Kevin Garnett, to find a way onto the floor, show and prove his historic prowess and raise a banner next to the two Dr. J raised for the Nets.
Kevin Durant will get his points, make his money, win accolades and continue to gain the respect of peers and also build his legacy.
It would be a shame if the "Easy Money Sniper" is prohibited from attaining what he potentially deserves because of a mandate that has nothing to do with the NBA and be criticized for doing what he thought was best for his career by linking up with a friend, yet what will be remembered is Kevin Durant made the decision to go to the Brooklyn Nets.
That is something he and he alone must reconcile regardless if the Nets win an NBA championship or not, and while he will be analyzed for making that decision to leave Golden State as his teammate sits out willingly, Kevin Durant hypothetically will just do what he does and be at the top of the key in position to shoot and wait for someone to pass him the rock.
Also Read: Who are Kyrie Irving's Kids?