Kevin Durant’s agent and family desperately wanted him to join the Knicks
Before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, Kevin Durant had several people in his corner telling him to choose the New York Knicks instead.
By Lior Lampert
New York Knicks fans will never forget the summer of 2019 -- when two-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP Kevin Durant (and presumably Kyrie Irving) was close to taking his talents to the “Mecca of Basketball.”
Instead, Durant left the Golden State Warriors and teamed up with Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets, and eventually James Harden too. The trio played a measly 16 games together in the two seasons their tenures overlapped, winning 13 of those contests.
Durant, who is very active and aware on social media, has had a rocky relationship with Knicks fans ever since. He has never shied away from the conversation about his decision to join Brooklyn instead of New York, and the topic came up during a discussion with his agent Rich Kleiman on their talk show, The Boardroom.
Nearly five years later, Durant and Kleiman tease Knicks fans yet again about what happened in 2019 and how the former almost ended up in New York rather than Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant’s agent, family wanted him to sign with New York Knicks
While Durant chose the Nets, he had several people close to him suggesting he sign with the Knicks, including Kleiman, his father, and his aunt:
Kleiman asked Durant to “tell the camera and whatever Knicks fans are watching this, that I wanted you to go to the Knicks,” and the latter replied: “You definitely did… more than anything.”
“Just come to the Garden,” Kleiman added.
Durant also had his family in his corner, specifically his father and aunt, who “love” the Knicks and tried swaying him.
Ultimately, Durant wound up with the Nets for three seasons where drama ensued in a turbulent era in Brooklyn, leading to the Nets trading three future first-ballot Hall of Fame players over one year and leaving fans wondering what could’ve been.
The Knicks may have dodged a bullet by missing out on Durant after seeing how things unfolded with the Nets, but fans can’t help but wonder if it would’ve gone differently had he chosen New York over Brooklyn.
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