Kevin Durant was always destined to wear a New York Knicks jersey…but not one with his name on the back.
Durant’s rollercoaster saga with the Knicks took another turn during Fanatics Fest at New York’s Javits Center earlier this month when he admitted to owning a special Knicks artifact … one that apparently took on new meaning after he donned the colors of another district.
“I had a Patrick Ewing jersey,” Durant said on a panel that also featured NBA veteran Jalen Rose, drawing applause from a mostly pro-Knicks crowd. But that quickly turned to boos as he continued, “That’s crazy because I grew up hating the Knicks; when I played for Brooklyn, I hated the Knicks.”
Durant has always had a somewhat complicated relationship with Manhattan’s finest: Since his relationship with the Oklahoma City Thunder ended in 2016, the two have been frequently linked in terms of free agents and transfer rumors. After winning two championships and Finals MVP awards with the Golden State Warriors, Durant spurned the Knicks and instead signed with the Brooklyn Nets, with whom he formed a superteam that also included James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
At the time, Durant called the Knicks the opposite of the “cool thing,” which led to his contract with the Nets.
Injuries and inconsistency ended the Nets’ super era before it could begin, however, and Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns at the 2023 trade deadline. Phoenix, which has since signed Bradley Beal to partner with Durant and reigning All-Star Devin Booker, has also struggled to live up to those expectations, finishing sixth in the Western Conference last year before the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked them out in a four-game sweep.
As it stands, Durant will see the Knicks twice this season: New York visits the desert on Nov. 20, while the Suns come to Madison Square Garden on April 6. It’s notable that new Knick Mikal Bridges was involved in the trade that sent Durant out West, as he was the Nets’ primary takeaway in the trade before being sent to Manhattan earlier this summer.
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