Getty Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, injured and not playing, looks on from the bench against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on February 15, 2021 in Sacramento, California.
Nets’ forward Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history and a two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. While KD’s list of career accolades is extensive, a certain group of NBA fans will forever ridicule him for joining forces with the Golden State Warriors. Now he is in the Big Apple with one of his best friends Kyrie Irving.
The current culture of players being friends off the court in the NBA has been a topic of controversy for years. Especially with the older generation of the NBA claiming it is something that they would never have done.
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Kevin Durant Sounds off on NBA Culture
On the latest episode of The ETCs, a podcast that Durant hosts on his Boardroom Network he claims it is a culture that the older generation started.
“The Magics, The Birds, The Jordans, they created that brotherhood amongst the league,” Durant said via Bleacher Report.
KD feels the “older generation” started it and today’s NBA embraced it 🤝
(via @boardroom)
Durant does make a valid point and the answers are right there when you look at the history of the league.
Off-court friendships started with Magic and Bird doing their infamous Converse commercial together although the two were bitter rivals on the court.
Jordan was also good friends with Charles Barkley off the court until an interview where Barkley ripped the unsuccessfulness of the Charlotte Hornets’ front office caused a rift in their friendship.
Durant Has Praised Jordan in the Past
While Durant may believe Jordan pioneered the friendship culture that occurs in today’s NBA, he realizes the impact that the six-time champion has left on the game and has referenced so in the past.
“MJ is one of one, God level, unmatched, unparalleled, a pure master at this s***. I’m still watching his games to learn,” Durant said via Nets Wire.
Durant also believes that if MJ played in today’s NBA he would still be the undisputed best in the game.
“He can adapt his game to anything,” Durant said via CBS Sports. “He would fit in as the best player in the league.
That’s what he would be. He would have more possessions to do more things. More space for M.J. to go to work,” Durant continued.
“We’ll never know, but for sure he’s a masterful basketball player, and like we’ve been saying his skill level is unmatched.”
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Durant Remains Out
Durant has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that he suffered in his return to Golden State on February 13. What was supposed to be a minor injury has become a major concern for fans that have become worried it is an injury that is connected to Durant’s Achilles tear. Nets’ head coach Steve Nash had a response for them.
“Through his history, through his medical history and assessments, we don’t feel like these two are related at all,” Nash said via Forbes.
“He’s doing very well right now and we all feel very positive about the direction he’s going but we need to be very positive because he’s a really important player for us.”
The Nets hope to have the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player back soon as he will be essential to their playoff run.
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Kevin Durant Makes Controversial Claim About Michael Jordan