A lot has been put on the shoulders of Kevin Durant since he joined the Brooklyn Nets during the 2019 offseason. He had just torn his Achilles while playing for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, coming off back-to-back NBA Championships and Finals MVP awards. He was seeking a new challenge and the Nets presented it to him, as he teamed up with Kyrie Irving.
Fast forward to the present day and no one could have predicted what would occur between then and now. That is partially why Durant never takes the chance to step onto the basketball court and play the game that he loves for granted as he explained in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report.
“I’m really having a good time. I wish y’all could hear me talk during the game. If I got mic’d up more, people would stop asking me if I’m happy or not. I’m enjoying every moment I get to step on this f–king court, and part of it is because I tore my Achilles. And the pandemic, I didn’t know if we were going to play again. I didn’t know if I was going to play again.
“I was just like, ‘This can’t be it for me.’ I have to really enjoy every single moment I’m out here. That’s part of being a pro. I have to be coachable, I have to knock down shots, I have to be aggressive, and I have to talk to my teammates the right way. That’s the journey and the battle.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Durant remains one of the very best players in the NBA despite having to recover and rehab from an Achilles injury. He is averaging 30.3 points per game this season to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game.
Just turning 34 years old a few weeks ago, Durant is showing no signs of slowing down. However, it will take more than him alone for the Nets to compete against the upper-echelon teams in the NBA.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Brooklyn Nets Updates
While he is doing his best to instill confidence in his teammates, this group of Nets that he is playing alongside doesn’t match up with the other good teams in the league.
“Look at our starting lineup. Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, [Nic] Claxton and me. It’s not disrespect, but what are you expecting from that group? Durant asked of B/R. “You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.”
That is the lineup that the Nets used Tuesday night when facing off against the Sacramento Kings. The Nets were molly whopped by the Kings, losing 153-121. That was the most points scored by Sacramento in a game in nearly 30 years as they did whatever they wanted against Brooklyn.
Performances like that won’t occur every night, but the Nets are a struggling team right now. Durant remains a superstar, but without some help, Brooklyn is going to be a middling team in the Eastern Conference.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Brooklyn Nets Updates
If Durant cannot get his teammates to raise their level of play, he could very well request another trade as he has made it clear that basketball is all he cares about.
