Back in 2019, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were â by far â the biggest names in NBA free agency. Notably, the word around the league was that they were ready to team up.
For months, it seemed like the New York Knicks were the frontrunners to get both of them. Then, in the eleventh hour, they wound up signing for their city rivals, the Brooklyn Nets.
Fast forward to today, and the two-time NBA champion dunked on the Knicks once again, admitting that his agent was pushing for him to join them, but they just werenât cool.
Durant Didnât Join The Knicks Because They Werenât Cool
âAt that time, they werenât. The Knicks werenât cool,â Durant said. âBut they are a cool brand. Like right now, they poppinââlast few years. But before thatâthe brand was cool, but I was looking at the team.â

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball down the court against the Denver Nuggets.
Durant stated that the team simply wasnât cool to watch. He loved living in New York City, and the Knicks were a strong brand, but that wasnât enough to convince him:
âAnd the team was not cool to play for,â continued Durant. âThe team was not cool to watchâ I might have embellished or lied a little bit about the brand; I mightâve thrown the brand in there too. But of course, the Knicks brand, likeâliving in New York made me truly realize how itâs the greatest city in the world.â
Ironically, itâs not like the Nets were the most competitive team in the league by any means when he signed with them, so he wouldâve also had to uplift their brand with his arrival.

see also
Charles Barkley takes another uncalled-for shot at Kevin Durant
At the end of the day, after all that transpired, perhaps Knicks fans are actually relieved that he didnât join the team. Even so, some will always wonder what couldâve been.
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