The Nets finally gave up on the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, shipping their two stars just months after moving James Harden to the 76ers.
After Harden, Irving was the next to go, as he was traded to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and two future second-rounders. Durant’s departure came four days later, when he was traded to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four future first-round picks.
Almost a year to the day, Durant will make his first return to Brooklyn since the trade when the Suns face the Nets on Wednesday, January 31.
For a star player like Durant, who spent three-plus seasons with the Nets (albeit one coming off the bench while recovering from an Achilles injury), it’s not unusual to see a homecoming complete with a video tribute.
With Durant’s return quickly approaching, the topic of a possible tribute video began trending among Nets fans on X, formerly known as Twitter. As we’ve seen from Durant in the past, he wasn’t afraid to log on and share his opinion.
Will Kevin Durant receive a tribute video upon his return to Brooklyn?
The answer remains to be seen, but Durant made it clear that he doesn’t want it.
The discussion began when “Locked on Nets” podcast host Adam Armbrecht responded to Nets reporter Billy Reinhardt’s poll asking if Durant deserved a tribute video.
Durant responded to the thread saying, “Please don’t, the night will be better without him.”
An X user named NetsFrequent responded by saying, “He requested more trades than he won playoff series during his time here. Why would we give him a tribute video?” with a crying and laughing emoji.
Durant was candid again in his response, saying, “It seems like me and the frequent networks are on the same page.”
KD doesn’t want a Nets tribute video ? pic.twitter.com/43FBful4tj
– NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 28, 2024
Durant’s final post came in response to an X user named PsychoNetsFan, who wrote“What would be in a [Durant] Nets tribute video? I’m serious. The buffoonery of the offseason? Are you selling during the Celtics series? Lost years for Nets fans and the organization. Just let that race go away.”
Durant was simple in his response: destination“I agree with you.”
Video tributes typically occur during the break between the first and second quarters of a game. We’ll have to wait and see if the Nets listened to their former star’s request.
How many games did Kevin Durant play with the Nets?
Durant played 129 regular season games with the Nets over three-plus years. He also played in 16 playoff games.
Durant signed a four-year, $164 million max contract with the Nets during the 2019 offseason with the understanding that he would miss the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
He didn’t make his Nets debut until the 2020-21 season, but a hamstring strain limited him to just 35 regular-season games. In 2021-22, Durant suffered a left injury Medial collateral ligament injury that limited him to 55 games. In 2022-23, he suffered a right MCL sprain that limited him to 39 games with the Nets before being traded to the Suns.
The brief hype surrounding Brooklyn’s star duo came to an end when Durant and Irving only played 74 games together over three and a half seasons. The “Big 3” with Harden only played 16 games together over two partial seasons.
What was the Nets’ record with Kevin Durant?
In 129 regular season games, Durant had an impressive 85-44 record with the Nets. His playoff record was not as successful, as he went 7-9 with only one series win.
Kevin Durant statistics for the Nets
- 129 games
- 35.7 minutes per game
- 29.0 points per game
- 7.1 rebounds per game
- 5.8 assists per game
- 1.2 blocks per game
- 0.8 steals per game
- 53.5%GD
- 40.0 3P%
- 91.0 FEET%
