“Love kills” Kevin Durant rationalizes Brooklyn Nets exit and failure in NBA Twitter exchange

Kevin Durant has been on a spree of answering NBA Twitter users. This time, it was a Brooklyn Nets fan's turn.

“Love kills” Kevin Durant rationalizes Brooklyn Nets exit and failure in NBA Twitter exchange

Kevin Durant (Image via Firstsportz)

Kevin Durant has been having a gala time talking to regular basketball fans on social media. He has built a reputation as one of the NBA’s friendliest, realest superstars out there. He isn’t someone with a haughty demeanor, or someone to think speaking to regular people is beneath him. This differentiates him from average sports stars, many of whose images are micromanaged by agents, PR services and more.

Durant has chosen a very interesting career path over the course of his 18 NBA seasons. Starting off in Seattle before a team relocation to the midwest state of Oklahoma, Durant is more of a journeyman now. This is sometimes a little hard to swallow for fans who believed he would retire with the Thunder – and with good reason! Yet, the uproar about his move to Golden State was unlike anything in NBA history.

His subsequent Nets and Suns tenures have also been filled with negative narratives. His inability to keep James Harden and Kyrie Irving together in Brooklyn in the Covid-19 era was a huge indictment of his ability as a leader. Despite taking more of a mentor role in Phoenix, Durant’s dedication and teamwork are still unjustly questioned. People have tried to rewrite how his tenure with Golden State changed the course of basketball.

Since his departure from Brooklyn, while he has been highly regarded for his time by the fanbase for the large part, there’s a faction of fans who still hold a grudge with him for not being able to win in New York. Durant himself feels the same way, as he pointed out to a fan on Monday morning.

He’s just salty cuz the nets didn’t work out and he’s jealous that the Knicks fans are having fun while nets fans arent, so u know they gonna blame me and Kai for taking their joy away lol.

Kevin Durant had tweeted in response to Anthony Puccio

I’ll live….love kills

Kevin Durant replied to a fan today

How Kevin Durant will be remembered in basketball history

Kevin Durant is perhaps the most unguardable player in NBA history. With his 6’11” frame, he has the ability to elevate over practically any player in the league while being guarded straight up. He can get buckets off one, two, three or seven dribbles. Durant has a green light to score from every spot with good reason – he’s efficient everywhere. What Durant has achieved as a midrange maestro, despite his Achilles tear, puts him at all-time great status.

Although leaving OKC for the rival Warriors at the height of their powers was a bad move in retrospect, it has only enhanced his legacy. The likes of Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, who had similar amounts of talent, but didn’t win rings, can testify to how ending careers ringless can leave you with a missing feeling. Durant also made the decision based on his basketball fit, but that would be a footnote to how fans view him.

Even two-time champions like Hakeem Olajuwon are often ranked lower because they have fewer trophies. Durant is as unique a talent as anyone in basketball history. Unlike many of his competitors, however, Durant has relied on his elevated skill level to be regarded in the rarefied air. His ability to continue producing at practically the same level as his peak even after an Achilles tear will be another defining factor of his career.

Durant just finished the season with the highest scoring average for any 36-year-old in league history. He is quite likely to even follow LeBron James’ footsteps and play 20+ years, into his 40s. His love for basketball is certainly enough fuel for him to continue pursuing excellence and perfection for a few more years.

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