Kevin Durant is clearly still a member of the Brooklyn Nets roster, but it hasn’t been a great season for the Barclays Center residents so far. The 34-year-old record breaker revealed, after an embarrassing 153-121 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday (Nov. 15), why he requested a trade this past summer.
“It wasn’t difficult at all to request a trade because it was about ball,” the two-time NBA Finals MVP told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes in an exclusive interview. “I went to them and was like, ‘Yo, I don’t like how we are preparing. I don’t like shootarounds. I like practices. I need more. I want to work on more sh*t. Hold me accountable. Get on my ass in film if that’s going to help you get on everybody else’s head. I want to do more closeouts. I want to work on more shell drills at practice.’”
The ETCs podcast host was intentional in clarifying that he wasn’t being critical of his teammates, but that he wanted to get better to facilitate their strengths. “It wasn’t like, ‘Yo, y’all need to make sure everybody around me can make my life easier.’ Hell nah, I want to make everybody else’s life easier. Ask Steve Nash, you can go call him right now. I would say, ‘Yo, I need more closeout drills. We need to practice more.’ That’s what I was on.”
The 2014 MVP welcomed the challenges that come with his fellow All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving serving a suspension and new teammate Ben Simmons battling nagging injuries. “Individually, I’m like, ‘All right, I have to dodge five defenders,’ but it’s fun going through that sh*t because it’s only making me better as a basketball player. If I can experience everything in the league, then my career is set. I’ve experienced it all: championships, Rookie of the Year, All-Stars, free agency, requesting a trade, All-Star MVPs, Olympics. I did everything in this league.”
Though Durant is up for the increased difficulty without his stars present, he was very honest about his team’s current standing. “Look at our starting lineup. Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, [Nic] Claxton and me. It’s not disrespect, but what are you expecting from that group? You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.”
The Brooklyn Nets currently have a 6-9 record and sit just three spots ahead of last place in the Eastern Conference. Durant currently leads the team with 30.3 points per game and 5.3 assists per game.