"Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving kicked him off the ship"- Charles Barkley rips ex-Nets stars for not trusting Kenny Atkinson
During an NBA on TNT episode that aired on November 19, Charles Barkley delved into how the Brooklyn Nets fell apart under coach Kenny Atkinson's tutelage. The former MVP criticized ex-Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for not trusting Atkinson.
During a discussion about Atkinson's time with the Brooklyn Nets, Charles highlighted the job he did in New York City. He praised Atkinson's performance during his initial years and recalled how the panel had once boasted about his coaching abilities:
"People forget, now think about three or four years ago we were bragging about Kenny Atkinson doing a great job in Brooklyn," said the former Suns star.
Continuing his praise of the former Warriors assistant, Barkley then tore into Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, blaming them for Atkinson's exit from the Nets:
"He was doing a fabulous job, we were like this guy might be the next really really good coach. Then KD and Kyrie came there and they kicked him off the ship," claimed Barkley.
Reminding everyone of how good of a coach Kenny Atkinson is, Charles said it was his tenure with the Nets that made people undermine his quality. Currently, the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kenny guided them to the top of the Eastern Conference after joining them in August.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's Nets tenure didn't pan out as expected
The summer of 2019 shook the NBA world as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to form a super team and joined the Brooklyn Nets. Owner Joe Tsai, who had just acquired complete ownership of the team, had evident title aspirations.
This particular move was supposed to skyrocket both players into superstardom, but what followed was a complete disaster. Covid-19 soon followed and due to Kyrie Irving's reluctance to get vaccinated, he had to sit out home games.
Even though they signed another star in James Harden the Nets couldn't catch a break, with Kevin Durant tearing his MCL. By the end of 2020, everything was falling apart in Brooklyn under coach Kenny Atkinson.
Following his dismissal, the Nets hired an inexperienced Steve Nash to lead their side, which made matters worse. Winning just one playoff series in three seasons, Durant and Irving left in 2023 and are thriving back in the West.