One of the biggest “what-ifs” in NBA history is the Brooklyn Nets of the early 2020s. The team that featured Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden seemed destined for championship glory, but greatness alluded them due to plain bad luck. One person who can’t seem to get over the Nets’ failure is Mike James, who watched the whole thing transpire in real time on the Nets bench.
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KD and Irving morphed the Nets into a playoff contender when they both signed in 2019, but the franchise became a terrifying threat once Harden joined the squad in the middle of the 2021 season. The Beard instantly made his mark, dropping a triple-double (32 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds) in his Nets debut game against the Magic. Nothing or no one seemed ready to face this newly formed “Big Three.”
Fortunately for the league, they wouldn’t have to worry about the big three for long. Injuries plagued the trio, along with setbacks from the COVID-19 outbreak. James still doesn’t understand how it all fell apart, and admitted so on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I was there n I’m still confused on what happen,” wrote James, who was responding to a clip of Harden’s incredible debut game.
I was there n I’m still confused on what happen https://t.co/75UxQKSFbe
— Mike James (@TheNatural_05) March 5, 2025
The Nets did get close. In 2021, without Irving and with a nearly hobbled Harden on the court, Durant played inspired basketball against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. He battled his heart out, and famously hit a game-tying 22 footer at the in the 4th quarter to send the game to OT.
Why famous? KD’s toe was on the line, otherwise it would have been a walk-off game winner. Instead, Giannis and the Bucks edged out the Nets 115-111, and would go on to defeat the Suns for the NBA Championship.
Kevin Durant also blamed injuries and COVID for derailing the Nets Championship chances
KD himself was asked about that fated Nets team at the beginning of 2025. He pointed to the injuries and COVID setbacks as the big reason they were never able to bring a chip to Brooklyn.
“Injuries. Covid. Us not getting on the court. I think those two were the biggest factors,” stated Durant. “A lot of people would like to say our attitudes or personalities didn’t mesh well. Once we got on the court and we actually played together, and you saw the culture we were building, it was something the fans could get behind.”
Kevin Durant on why the trio with Kyrie Irving and James Harden didn’t win a championship with the Brooklyn Nets:
“Injuries. Covid. Us not getting on the court. I think those two were the biggest factors. A lot of people would like to say our attitudes or personalities didn’t… pic.twitter.com/U0NSfpVwNk
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 23, 2025
The Big-Three only played 16 games together in Brooklyn, where they held a 13-3 record. The team still won a great deal with at least two of the superstars in the rotation though.
The Harden/Irving combo without KD were 31-10, roughly the same winning percentage as the KD/Harden combo, who were 36-16 without Irving. The KD/Irving combo without Harden were 53-34.
Oh what could have been.
