"No crying over spilled milk; S**t just played out the way it did" - Kevin Durant claims he has zero regrets about trio of him, Kyrie Irving and James Harden not working out
In January 2021, the Brooklyn Nets acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster trade with the intention of pairing him up with All-Star's Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The objective: Win an NBA Championship.
Things haven't panned out the way the franchise had hoped for. Speaking to the media post-game following the franchise's elimination from the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Brooklyn Nets' All-Star Kevin Durant shared his thoughts on the franchise and their lackluster season.
When asked about having any regrets regarding the 'Big Three', Durant responded:
"No regrets. No crying over spilled milk. It's about how we can progress. ... Shit just played out the way it did."
Kevin Durant on whether he regrets not taking advantage of having a Big 3 of himself, Kyrie Irving and James Harden: "No regrets. No crying over spilled milk. It's about how we can progress. ... Shit just played out the way it did."
The Brooklyn Nets lost in a must win Game 4 to the Boston Celtics, which essentially resulted in the New York-based franchise's elimination from the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics completed a 'sweep' of the Nets to advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
Kevin Durant also shared his perspective on whether or not Steve Nash is the right head coach for the Brooklyn Nets going forward.
“Come on, man. Yeah. Steve’s been dealt a crazy hand the last 2 years.”
Kevin Durant and the 2021/2022 NBA Season
With the introduction of the New York City vaccine mandate, Kyrie Irving was deemed ineligible to play for the Brooklyn Nets throughout the 2021/2022 NBA season at home.
Adjoin Kevin Durant's recurring injuries, and you have James Harden, who was questioning the franchise's championship aspirations.
Fast forward to the trade deadline of February 2022. James Harden forced his way out of yet another organization in a deal that saw Ben Simmons make his way to the Brooklyn Nets, with Harden himself being paired up with 'MVP' frontrunner Joel Embiid in Philadelphia.
The Nets gave up on quite a few of their foundational pieces in Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, amongst other potential stars who could've been pivotal to them obtaining their goal of winning an NBA Championship.
This has not gone according to plan, with the Nets once again being eliminated from the NBA Playoffs and on the brink of collapse. However, this instance was dreadful, thanks to a clean sweep from the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference.
The future of the Brooklyn Nets
The silver lining to the situation is that the Brooklyn Nets will have former 'All-Star' and 'Defensive Player of the Year' contender Ben Simmons going into the 2022/2023 NBA season.
The former 76ers player is a valuable asset to any contending team and can be utilized in a multitude of ways.
Provided the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can remain healthy and remain productive going into the 2022/2023 postseason, the trio of Simmons, Durant and Irving, along with a few rotational pieces might be just what the Brooklyn Nets need to recoup themselves into title contention.