At the start of this season, it seemed clear that the Brooklyn Nets had their fair share of problems. Kyrie Irving couldn't play any games due to his vaccination status, all while James Harden was underperforming. It was effectively up to Kevin Durant to pull all of the team's weight, and once KD got injured in the middle of the season, things began to crumble all the way up until Harden was traded for Ben Simmons.
In a new report from ESPN, it was revealed that KD actually harbored some resentment towards Harden. Essentially, Durant was not happy with Harden who showed up to training camp out of shape. Durant excused it when Harden was in Houston because he was clearly unhappy. However, Durant figured Harden would at least show some effort once he arrived in Brooklyn. As it turns out, that was not the case.
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Per ESPN:
"Sources say that much of the discontent between Harden and the Nets started in September when he arrived into training camp out of shape. Durant had been understanding of Harden’s predicament in Houston as a man in need of new scenery with the Nets, but also tacitly expected his former teammate to commit himself to conditioning and self-care when he came seeking a title in Brooklyn, according to a source close to both stars. With Irving’s status already in flux due to his unwillingness to get vaccinated, Durant was astonished in the opening weeks of the season at Harden’s lack of explosiveness and sluggish play, something he attributed in large part to Harden’s being out of shape, as he did the ensuing hamstring issues."
The Nets are certainly a lot better off without Harden and heading into the playoffs, the Nets have an opportunity to make big waves. If they go further than the Sixers, then KD and company will certainly be vindicated for how they went about this entire year.
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[Via]