“As Giannis’ legend continues to grow, that actually becomes not a knock, but almost a boon” - NBA analyst believes Kevin Durant’s Nets tenure will remembered for his foot on the line in Game 7 vs the Bucks
Kevin Durant's tenure with the Brooklyn Nets will most likely come to an end in the next few months. The 12-time All-Star has requested a trade and wants out unless the Nets fire their general manager and coach.
Joe Tsai, the team owner, has sided with his personnel, which likely means that Durant's career in Brooklyn is over. Considering that his tenure there has been a failure, it will be interesting to see how NBA fans remember it.
Nick Wright spoke about how fans will remember Durant's Nets tenure. On his "What's Wright? With Nick Wright" podcast, the analyst said:
"Durant, in his healthy year with the Nets (in 2021), was phenomenal in that series against Milwaukee. What they'll remember is the foot on the line (in) Game 7. I think people will remember how brilliant he was in Game 5 against Milwaukee and then the foot on the line on what people thought was the game-winning three to beat Giannis.
"As Giannis' legend continues to grow, that actually becomes not a knock on Durant, but almost a boon for Durant."
Wright believes Brooklyn will be a big part of Kyrie Irving's story but that fans will remember Durant for many other things.
Kevin Durant was incredible against Milwaukee Bucks
Kevin Durant has had only two healthy seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. In his first full season in Brooklyn, he faced Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Antetokounmpo eventually became an NBA champion – but not before beating Durant in seven hard-fought games.
During the series, the two-time NBA champion averaged 35.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He was fantastic and arguably the best player in the series.
Durant's best performance came in Game 5, recording a mind-blowing triple-double with 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was unstoppable, shooting 69.6% and also playing incredible defense.
In Game 7, the Bucks had a two-point lead with six seconds to go. Durant received the ball, and after a few dribbles, he buried a long-range shot with only a second left. Unfortunately for the Nets, alhough it looked like a 3-pointer, Durant stepped on the line.
The game went into overtime, with the Nets scoring only two points after Durant went 0-for-6. The Bucks won 115-111, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals and eventually winning it all.
What will Durant be remembered for?
Wright believes Durant will be remembered mostly for good things. After all, he's one of the greatest scorers in league history and led the OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012, his fifth season.
"I do not think this Nets tenure is going to be a big part of his story," Wright said. "I think when people talk about Kevin Durant, they are going to talk about how brilliant he was immediately, how he was in the NBA Finals at 22 years old with the Thunder."
The NBA analyst also added how fans will talk about his decision to join the Warriors in 2016 and will not talk much about the Nets. Durant left Golden State in 2019 to form his own super team, but that experiment has been a drama-filled disaster.
Instead, Wright said, fans will focus on Durant's next chapter, which will most likely be the final chapter of his impressive career.