News: Suns Superstar Kevin Durant Opens Up on Emotional Return to Brooklyn
Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant did not want the Kevin Durant to make an effort to produce a video tribute for him, but his former team went ahead and created one that was shown Wednesday night at Barclays Center. At the end of the day, there was no stopping the Nets from showing their appreciation for Durant, who played for three and a half seasons with the Eastern Conference franchise.
Durant was also appreciative of the Nets’ gesture.“It’s classy people here. It shows a great organization when you can appreciate everybody who stepped foot and put their blood, sweat and tears into your organization. I respect that,” Durant said after leading the Suns to a 136-120 road win over the Nets.
Durant powered the Suns with another one of his signature offensive explosions, as he went off for 33 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds plus five blocks while shooting 10-for-16 from the field in 38 minutes. Clearly, Durant still loved playing under the bright lights of his former stomping grounds. He also got plenty of help, with Jusuf Nurkic pounding out 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Devin Booker added 22 points and eight assists.
The Nets were Durant’s next stop after his unforgettable stint with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won back-to-back titles together with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. In 2019, the Warriors traded him to Brooklyn along with a protected pick in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Shabazz Napier, and Treveon Graham. Four years later, the Suns acquired Durant via a four-team trade.
Although Durant’s time with the Nets did not produce a championship, he still averaged excellent numbers during his Brooklyn tenure. In 129 games with the Nets, Durant averaged 29.0 points (his highest with any team in his NBA career) on 53.5 percent shooting from the floor.
That display of scoring prowess for Brooklyn continues to be heavily remembered by Nets fans. Brooklyn will never ever have another Durant, as do the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors, and one day, the Suns, who are now the top beneficiary of the all-time scoring talents of the future Hall of Famer.