Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) against Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kevin Durant Makes Honest James Harden, Kyrie Irving Statement

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 2:16 PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets' superteam of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden may have yielded incredibly disappointing results, but no one can deny that they were dominant when all three played together.

When Kevin Durant looks at why the trio failed to win a championship, he attributes it to a plethora of reasons. One thing he refuses to attribute it to is his teammates' personalities.

“Injuries. Covid. Us not getting on the court," Durant said. "I think those two were the biggest factors. A lot of people would like to say our attitudes or personalities didn’t mesh well. There are a lot of narratives going around about each individual player about our mentality as men. But once we got on the court and we actually played together, and you saw the culture we were building, it was something the fans could get behind."

Kevin Durant on why the trio with Kyrie Irving and James Harden didn’t win a championship with the Brooklyn Nets:

“Injuries. Covid. Us not getting on the court. I think those two were the biggest factors. A lot of people would like to say our attitudes or personalities didn’t… pic.twitter.com/U0NSfpVwNk
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 23, 2025

Durant even went on to say that when Harden first arrived in Brooklyn from Houston, he believed it was some of the most incredible basketball he'd ever seen. He's not wrong either, the team looked nearly unstoppable until the injuries kicked in.

"That first year when James got here halfway through the season, that was some of the most incredible basketball that I’ve seen and played in," Durant said.

If there were two specific reasons that Durant could attribute the failure of his Nets tenure to, it would be injuries and COVID-19.

"Injuries to me, James, and Kyrie played a factor, along with Covid," Durant said. "That whole thing confused a lot of sh*t.”

The Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving Brooklyn Nets will always remain one of the biggest What-Ifs in NBA history. A team that was clearly the best team in the league, but somehow couldn't get past the second round.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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