There are players who have been antagonistic in the eyes of fans and the Nets recruited them for now to be one of the leading teams in the NBA
In the era of ‘superequipos’ in the NBA, in 2021 gives us a very particular one, one that looks like ‘supervillains’. The Brooklyn Nets brought in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season and James Harden in the current, three big league stars, but also three players who have been antagonistic in the eyes of fans, analysts and even some former teammates .
Kyrie Irving, champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, was the first to decide to join the New York team, and was the only one to take part last season. Irving for some a ‘misunderstood genius’ for others a ‘diva; has a long history of misunderstandings with different organizations and teammates; from forcing his way out of Cleveland, to leaving the shadow of Lebron James, whom he threw indirectly several years later and who he recently mocked when he missed a free kick in the Lakers’ duel against the Nets, to the his tumultuous stay at the Boston Celtics and his recent decision not to speak to the media.
Kevin Durant joined Irving in the same free agency, recovering from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in the 2019 finals with the Golden State Warriors, KD saw no action in 2020. For his critics Durant has been a player who has chosen the easy path to becoming an NBA champion, joining a Warriors team that had already reached two finals and he had won the Larry O ‘Brien trophy before his arrival and also had stars such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. Although Durant proved his worth in the team by becoming the MVP of the next two California team championships, some still point him out for not staying in the Oklahoma Thunder to try to win. a title alongside Russell Westbrook, who did not like his partner’s decision and the relationship was broken by how things turned out since then.
Finally the Nets were for a James Harden, who did not want to continue with the Houston Rockets and was criticized for appearing overweight in the preseason and in the first games of the Texan team. Brooklyn had to cede four players — three first-round picks to acquire Harden in an exchange in which 4 teams participated. The ‘Beard’ movement was reprimanded by his then comrades. Before his departure Harden declared that “the situation could not be fixed” and thanked Houston for his time, to which John Wall later reprimanded him: “It’s 9 games and you want to get off the boat.” while DeMarcus Cousins called him disrespectful in the way he handled his exit. James Harden, the NBA’s top scorer in three seasons, has also been criticized for his lack of success in the playoffs and his lack of commitment in defensive play.
So far and despite both Irving and Durant having been out of harm’s way with injuries, not serious ones, at various times, the Nets are lurking at the top of the NBA East, with a streak of 8 games won in a row. The talent combination in Brooklyn leaves them with the Championship as the only happy ending, and while this isn’t usually reserved for the ‘supervillains’, surely Kyrie, KD and Harden are thinking otherwise.