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ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has lauded the Brooklyn Nets for not giving into Kevin Durant's trade demands this summer. Durant shocked the NBA world at the start of free agency by wanting out of Brooklyn. However, the Nets were firm about their valuation of Durant and waited till the superstar agreed to rescind his request.
Smith was a guest on a recent episode of "The Rich Eisen Show." Eisen and Smith discussed the current situation in Brooklyn. The eccentric ESPN analyst praised the Nets for keeping both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He specifically criticized Durant because he still had a four-year contract when he demanded a trade.
"I want to applaud the Brooklyn Nets for finally doing something right as an organization," Smith said. "They held steady on their position on Kyrie at the beginning of the season and then reneged. (They) looked like absolute fools in doing so. They handed the franchise to two superstars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and that ended up being a disaster."
"They need to be applauded for standing their ground. Kevin Durant didn't to go anywhere and I was glad they kept his a** right where they did. Because you signed a four-year, $198 million extension. And before you honored one day of it, you're talking about wanting to be traded."
Stephen A. Smith also pointed out the Brooklyn Nets' firm stance regarding Kyrie Irving's extension. The Nets did not give into Irving's demands and let him find a sign-and-trade deal. After negotiations failed, Irving opted into the final year of his contract and will now try to earn his contract the hard way.
"In the case of Kyrie Irving, nobody's more incentivized to play more than him," Smith said. "He was expecting a $212 million extension, they told him to opt in with the one-year, $36.9 million. You gotta show up for work to earn your money. He watched Bradley Beal get over $200 million along with other cats including Zach Lavine."
"Kyrie's a box office. He's a superstar who should be paid like that and would have been paid like that. Had he had the decency to show up to work, he didn't. They're saying, 'You want to get paid? You got to show up to work.'"
Also Checkout:- Kevin Durant Net worth (Updated 2022)
Kevin Durant unhappy with his NBA 2K23 ratings
Kevin Durant was unhappy with his overall rating for NBA 2K23. Durant aired out his disappointment via Twitter and demanded an explanation from Ronnie Singh, the Director of Digital Marketing for 2K Sports. The Brooklyn Nets superstar believes that he deserves a 99 rating.
Durant is one of five players with a 96 overall rating. Steph Curry, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid all have a 96 overall, while Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the list with 97 (2Kratings.com).
According to CBS Sports, only five players in NBA 2K history had a 99 overall rating as an active player. They were LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Chris Paul. Shaquille O'Neal is the only player to get a 100 rating.
