NBA superstar Kevin Durant is on the cover of New York Post with a headline that could chase him for years.
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Three days after teammate Kyrie Irving opted-in for the final year of his contract, Kevin Durant dropped a bombshell with reports of him demanding a trade from the Nets. As franchises stand in line to lure KD, the decision to leave Brooklyn has painted an unerasable mark on his resume as one of the greatest.
The former MVP had the perfect opportunity to redeem himself from the image of a villain cast upon him when he joined the Warriors. Though Durant won two championships with the Dubs and was the best player on the team, Stephen Curry continued to remain Bay Area’s favorite child.
Post his unfortunate Achilles injury in the 2019 Finals, KD decided to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. The two-time Finals MVP thought the Barclays Center was the ideal destination to develop a culture and be the face, and joining him in this mission was none other than Kyrie Irving.
Sadly, things didn’t go as planned as 3-years later, Durant has asked to be traded, leaving the franchise in disarray. The 33-year-old may now be staring at the most scrutinizing phase of his career.
It’s a dark day for hoop fans in Brooklyn.
The 2019 off-season had stemmed new hopes for Nets fans, who believed their team was ready for showtime. KD and Kyrie joined forces destroying the hopes of Knicks fans, only to join another suburb in New York. The duo gave the bright lights of Madison Square Garden a pass to be the pioneers of something special in Brooklyn.
GM Sean Marks and co did everything in their capability to give the superstar duo enough ammunition for a championship, including getting former MVP James Harden on board. However, injuries, COVID protocols, and controversies kept the Nets more in the headlines over their performance on the hardwood.
The Nets fans and front office were gracious enough to forgive their star-studded lineup for a semi-finals elimination in the 2021 playoffs. Unfortunately, the fans’ forgiving nature fell on deaf ears, especially post Irving’s anti-vaccination controversy and Harden forcing himself out.
Things only became worse with the Nets getting swept 4-0 in the first round at the hands of the Celtics. Although the management agreed to run it back with the same roster, they weren’t gullible anymore. The result of which is Durant and Irving wanting out.
Touted to be the best player on the planet, KD raising his hands amid a crisis shows unaccountability for a player of his stature. The Slim Reaper may have just chosen a path from where it’s impossible to come back.
