Former Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was back in New York City this weekend, appearing at the Fanatics Fest. Naturally, the 15-time All-Star, who chose the Nets over the New York Knicks in free agency in 2019, received some jeers. One Knicks fan yelled that Durant wished he had joined the Knicks.
However, Durant quickly responded by affirming his allegiance to the Nets.
“No, I don't. I'm a Net for life, baby! I'm a Net for life!” he exclaimed.
Durant has spoken fondly about the Nets several times over the last year. The two-time MVP also said he was “A Net for life” ahead of one of his matchups with Brooklyn earlier this season.
Some Nets fans have a complicated relationship with Durant. The team was a title favorite in 2021, with him leading the way alongside Kyrie Irving and James Harden. However, injuries derailed a promising playoff run, and Irving's refusal to adhere to the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates did the same the following season.
After Harden requested a trade at the 2022 deadline, Durant followed suit the following offseason. He returned to the team to start the 2022-23 campaign after Brooklyn refused to budge on his demands. However, the Nets failed to agree on a contract extension with Irving and traded him to the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline. Afterward, Durant reinitiated his request and was dealt to his preferred destination, the Phoenix Suns.
Despite the dysfunction, Durant returned from an Achilles tear with the Nets and reclaimed his place as one of the NBA's top stars. He averaged 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 54/40/91 shooting splits over 129 appearances with the team.
While his tenure fell well short of expectations in terms of team success, he holds fond memories of his time in Brooklyn.
“I just really appreciate my time here,” Durant told ClutchPoints in January. “I didn’t know how it would feel moving into New York, living in New York, playing basketball in New York. I was a little nervous, to be honest, to move here. But once I got settled in and figured out my routine here, it was the most fun I had in a long time playing ball.”
