Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets suffered one of their worst losses of the season in their last game against the Sacramento Kings. They gave up a whopping 153 points in a 32-point loss as they fell to a record of 6-9. To put it bluntly, the Nets have struggled as of late. Kyrie Irving has missed the last seven games because of his suspension, Ben Simmons’ availability has been sporadic, and TJ Warren still has yet to make his season debut.
But aside from the player absences, the Nets roster lacks talent compared to the other teams in the NBA. And although there is no denying that Kevin Durant is a generational talent, the Nets star realizes he can’t serve as a bandage to all of the deficiencies.
“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 said to Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report. “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.”
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Durant Makes Strong Statement on His Leadership
Durant is as close as it gets to a perfect basketball player. He is a seven-foot point guard who handles the ball like Allen Iverson, shoots like Steph Curry, and rebounds like Shaquille O’Neal. But dating back to his decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016, one aspect of Durant’s game that has always been under a microscope is his leadership.
But the Nets star believes his leadership shows through his actions, and how he interacts on the court with his teammates. Whether or not he displays it to anyone outside of the Nets’ locker room is irrelevant.
“I don’t need to show or tell everybody what I’m doing with my teammates so y’all can pump me up and say, ‘Yeah, KD, you’re the boss, you’re the leader.’ These other [expletives] need that. I don’t,” Durant added.
“I don’t come to you and say, ‘Haynes, write this story about me.’ I don’t do that to nobody. But I come here and respect y’all. I talk to y’all like a real one, even after a blowout [loss].”
Durant Sounds off on Kyrie Irving
Durant’s leadership was put under an even finer microscope upon his arrival in Brooklyn. Especially when it comes to his silence on Kyrie Irving’s off-the-court issues. Through the several issues that arose during Irving’s Nets tenure, Durant has either remained silent or supportive of his co-star, refusing to come down on him for his actions.
Durant simply does not believe it is his place to do such a thing.
“A lot of people say I’m not a leader because I didn’t tell Kyrie to get vaccinated. Come on. Or I didn’t condemn Kyrie for leaving the team, going out and living his life,” Durant added.
“I’m not about to tell a grown-ass man what he can and can’t do with his own life and dissect his views or how he thinks about s—-”
With this interview being an apparent call to action towards the Nets front office, it will be interesting to see if there are any roster changes to come.