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Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets instead of the New York Knicks when he became a free agent in 2019. Durant's agent, Rich Kleiman, wanted him to sign with the Knicks, but KD didn't like the team they were building back then.
Fast forward five years, and the two-time NBA champion admitted that the Knicks as a brand was "cool." The team was not good, but the franchise always had the brand, as they are in the biggest basketball market in the league.
"The brand was cool, but at the time, you know I'm not looking at the cool brand outside of the game," Durant told Kleiman in their Boardroom conversation.
"I was looking at the team, and the team was not cool to play for. The team was not cool to watch. It wasn't a good team to watch. I might have embellished a little bit or lied a little bit about, like, the brand. I might have thrown the brand in there, too."
Kevin Durant's tenure with the Brooklyn Nets was disastrous despite signing Kyrie Irving in 2019 and acquiring James Harden in 2021. A variety of factors led to the failure of the "Big 3," which culminated with just one playoff win.
Durant signed a huge extension with the Nets in 2021 but requested a trade less than two years later. He was acquired by the Phoenix Suns last season and has a team that could help him win his third NBA championship.
What did Kevin Durant say about the Knicks in 2019?
Kevin Durant became a free agent following the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
He suffered a torn Achilles tendon and was ruled out for the following season. Nevertheless, he was still the most sought-after free agent that summer along with Kawhi Leonard.
As mentioned above, Durant's agent wanted him to sign with the New York Knicks before he eventually chose to join the Brooklyn Nets. He drew the ire of Knicks fans when he told HOT 97's "Ebro in the Morning" why he didn't choose New York.
"I've seen the Knicks in the Finals, but kids coming up after me didn't see that," Durant said.
"So that whole brand of the Knicks, to them, is not as cool as let's say a Golden State Warriors or even the Lakers or the Nets now. You know what I'm saying? The cool thing right now is not the Knicks."
