When Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets over a year ago, there was a feeling that the New York Knicks blew a shot at turning things around for their tortured franchise. As it turns out, they never had a shot.
During an appearance on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter this week, Durant said the idea of being the “savior of the Knicks” never appealed to him. He also says he was never lured by the popularity of the franchise.
Kevin Durant on 2019 free agency:
"I didn't want to be the savior of the Knicks or NY. I didn't care about being the king of NY. That never really moved me. I didn't care about being on Broadway. I just wanted to play ball and go to the crib and chill."https://t.co/bqmSxp4Vfr
— Daily Knicks (@DailyKnicksFS) September 10, 2020
Many were shocked when Durant signed with the Nets. After he won multiple championships with the Golden State Warriors, some felt Durant would look to cement his legacy by rescuing the Knicks. Apparently he never had any intention of trying to do that.
There was a report after Durant turned down the Knicks that they may not have been willing to offer him enough money, but that reeked of spin from a team that missed out on yet another elite player. Given Durant’s comments this week, it seems even more likely that he simply wanted nothing to do with James Dolan’s team.
