Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving’s Nets Face Transitional 2020 Reveals Legend

Kyrie-Irving

Getty Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant against Knicks

Kendall Gill played for the New Jersey Nets from 1996-2001.

During his time in New Jersey, Gill helped the team reach the 1998 NBA Playoffs alongside Jayson Williams, Sam Cassell, Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn.

Gill led the NBA in steals during the 1998–99 NBA season and for those keeping score at home, Gill created history when he tallied 11 steals in a game against the Miami Heat.

Gill actually had a triple double on that April 3, 1999 game. In adddition to registering 11 steals in that game, he also scored 15 points and hauled in10 rebounds for a rare points-rebounds-steals triple-double.

That’s a big deal!

Appearing on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Gill discussed his time with the Nets and his thoughts on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant’s partnership with the Brooklyn Nets.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (L) drives past New Jersey Nets’ Kendall Gill (R) in the second quarter 02 April at Continental Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. AFP PHOTO/Matt CAMPBELL (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL / AFP) (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: The 5th Pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by way of the Charlotte Hornets. Kendall I remember you played for the Nets there in Jersey, but you lived in Manhattan. What was traffic like for practice in the morning?

Kendall Gill: Well actually man you know, I actually lived closer than most of the players did in Jersey. And I was able to get – because I lived on 43rd and 11th Avenue at the time for six years and I was able to jump right in the Lincoln Tunnel and ride over to East Rutherford, New Jersey and back then the toll to go in and out of the tunnel was $4.00. Now it’s $8.00 to go each way , so what is it now… $20.00?…..

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:
It’s like $15-20.00 –

Kendall Gill:
$15-20? Aw man! [laughs]… that’s absolutely crazy. But you know, and I actually traveled during off peak hours too so, transition for me was pretty easy/ It wasn’t that big of a deal for me .

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:
When you look at the Nets this season, what do think about the Nets adding Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and do you see there being a transitional period next season once those two guys finally get settled in and play?

Kendall Gill: Yeah. I see it being a transitional season because you look at Kyrie. He has to have the ball to be effective. You look at Kevin Durant. I don’t think he necessarily has to have the ball to be effective but when he does have it he IS effective. It’s going to take those two a little while to learn how to play off of each other. Much like Harden and Westbrook did in Houston this year. When you have two ball-dominant guys, it takes a little while for those guys to really learn the pecking order but, I would still say Kevin Durant is the number one guy and Kyrie falls behind him.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:
The NBA steals leader in ’98-99, Kendall Gill joins us on Scoop B Radio…Kendall when you look at just the season overall; I had this conversation with Kenny Anderson recently. Corona Virus stopping the season – the only thing I can think of is the lockout in the 90’s. There’s a stoppage where guys are not necessarily in rhythm every day, the diet maybe different… how did you get through that during the lockout when you played?

Kendall Gill: Well, here’s the thing that’s different during the lockout and now during the coronavirus epidemic. During the lockout we still had an opportunity to a gym and work out. Now, there are no gyms open. There are no practice facilities open. So unless you were one of those guys that have a gym in their house, then you’re not getting any basketball work in. So your skills are somewhat being diminished while you’re sitting in the house. You probably have an opportunity to work out and most guys have equipment in their house and here in Chicago we do have the opportunity to go outside and run if you want to as long as you keep a good distance away from everybody. But that’s pretty much all you can do with the guys dealing with this epidemic right now. Now back then, we could go the gym. We could shoot, we could do whatever we wanted to and still work on our basketball skills. But right now… that’s why – hopefully, this will get everything in order so we can resume the season however, I don’t think it’s going to be that way. I think the season is going to be cancelled unfortunately because I don’t see how now you can bring the players back. You’ll probably are going have a 1-2 week training camp in order to get everybody reacclimated to what they were about six weeks ago before this stuff happened. And it’s just going to be tough to do and it’s just unfortunate circumstances that we’re in.