Kevin Durant expressed his unhappiness with James Harden leaving the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 but expressed love for his former teammate.
Kevin Durant and James Harden are two of the defining NBA players of this generation. They have also been teammates on two different occasions, making the 2012 NBA Finals together on the OKC Thunder. Their more high-profile stint came on the Brooklyn Nets superteam from 2021 to 2022, which ended with Harden requesting a trade one season after landing in Brooklyn.
Durant has reflected on that departure, expressing his dissatisfaction at the time but claiming he’s moved on and has nothing but love for Harden.
“No doubt that I was pissed about the situation. I’m sure he was pissed about having to move teams again. When the smoke clears, you realize that’s somebody you came into the league with, somebody I really, really love as a brother… I want what’s best for him and his family going forward.”
Kevin Durant on James Harden and his departure from Brooklyn:
“No doubt that I was pissed about the situation. I'm sure he was pissed about having to move teams again. When the smoke clears, you realize that's somebody you came into the league with, somebody I really, really… pic.twitter.com/mt78ydrgpP
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 9, 2024
Harden joined the Nets in 2021 after ending a seven-year tenure with the Houston Rockets where he became a perennial MVP candidate. The Nets with Harden, Durant, and Kyrie Irving looked lethal when they played together, but poor health made sure that their 2021 playoff run would end in heartbreak.
Harden would become dissatisfied with the team when Irving decided to sit out most of the 2021-22 season due to the vaccine mandate in New York. This led to Harden requesting another trade, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers. His tenure in Philly ended in a similar way, requesting a trade after a season-and-a-half, getting his wish, and landing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Durant stuck it out in Brooklyn for another season before being moved at the 2023 trade deadline to the Phoenix Suns.
James Harden Felt Justified In Leaving The Nets
The Brooklyn Nets experiment imploded within a season of Harden’s departure. He had rebuffed a contract extension with the franchise after being traded there, a decision that baffled many. But after the Nets blew up their roster last summer with both Irving and Durant leaving on acrimonious terms with Brooklyn, Harden took some shots at the franchise.
“Fast-forward to date, I don’t look like the crazy one. I don’t look like the guy or the quitter or whatever the media want to call me. I knew what was going on and I just decided to … hey, I’m not built for this. I don’t want to deal with that. I want to play basketball and have fun and enjoy doing it. And fast-forward to today, they’ve got a whole new roster.”
He is referring to multiple off-court distractions the superteam Nets faced in their two seasons together. The constant injuries to stars along with head coaching drama with Steve Nash and Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated took a toll on Harden. While it might have not been the best decision for winning a title, Harden did what he did to protect himself.
He and Irving have also been seen burying the hatchet after constant reports of the pair’s dislike for each other. Now, Harden, KD, and Irving are all competing against each other in the Western Conference, with Harden’s Clippers being the best team so far and Durant’s Suns have been the worst.