Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are headed to Brooklyn or, as Stephen A. Smith put it, 20 or so minutes in traffic down Atlantic Avenue from Madison Square Garden. The move isn’t as much as a surprise to anyone as it is a disappointment to fans of the New York Knicks, who hoped both would sign at MSG and return the Knicks to glory.
That didn’t happen, however, as the Knicks lost out to a team that wasn’t even in the five boroughs a few years ago. Given all that the team has been through, and how it’s struggled to attract big free agents to play at Madison Square Garden, the latest disappointment seemed particularly cruel to some. But there is always a reason why things happen the way they do, and Durant and Irving didn’t simply throw a dart at team logos to pick their next home.
The clear indication made by the two, as well as the rest of the free agent class, is that something isn’t right in New York and now we know a bit more about why both Durant and Irving decided to stay away.
According to the indomitable Howard Beck at Bleacher Report, both Irving and Durant were turned off by the Knicks after they “lost their way” and struggled through the 2018-19 season.
Initially, Irving and Durant discussed joining forces with the Knicks. Irving, who was raised in New Jersey, liked the idea of playing close to home. Durant, who was launching a media company in New York, liked the potential synergy, as well as the chance to be closer to his family in Maryland.
But that plan quickly lost steam as the Knicks lost their way. New York won just 17 games with a haphazard roster and a collection of underachieving young prospects. The Nets, meanwhile, were exceeding all expectations, eventually winning 42 games and capturing the sixth seed in the East.
Another considerable aspect of joining the Knicks is the hype that surrounds it. You know, like Stephen A. Smith saying he threw up and cried about the Knicks not landing those stars. There’s a “savior” complex that comes to a big free agent signing in New York, and according to Beck’s report neither player wanted any part of that.
And neither Irving nor Durant were eager to wear the “savior” mantle that’s thrust upon every star player, coach or executive who lands at Madison Square Garden, from Stephon Marbury, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas to Carmelo Anthony, Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh.
It’s different in Brooklyn, where the Nets generally operate below the radar, with less scrutiny and more measured expectations. The stars were impressed by Marks, a San Antonio Spurs disciple who favors a low-key, no-nonsense, egoless management style.
Beck’s report said that while many thought the two were bound for the Knicks, the duo had settled on the Nets “months” earlier. Which means all that time Knicks fans hoped the two could save the franchise was for nothing. Once again.
