Kevin Durant: “I wanted to get away from the Nets, but I stayed and we will make ourselves respected ‘

After an incredible summer, with surreal contours in which a bit of everything happened at the Nets house, on the first day of school everything seems only a faded memory. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving say the things that all Nets fans want to hear, Ben Simmons claims to be in great shape and ready to contribute to him and the management talks about ambitious goals. Are you all right then? Difficult to be so, at least it will take some time to understand if the request first for a trade and then for the dismissal of the Marks-Nash couple, has important aftermath as well as Irving’s attitude. The question marks on Simmons, then, of course, are not lacking, but everyone makes the best of a bad situation. “After signing the renewal last season I had good feelings – a Kevin Durant kicks off the Media Day that few would have thought to see in the Nets jersey after his summer tantrums – then during the year I saw too many problems and uncertainties in the team , so I thought that then the best thing for me might have been to go somewhere else. Then we cleared things up with the owners and with coach Nash. I know my worth well and I understand that the club has asked a very high price for my sale, so I’m not at all surprised to be here. The uncertainties related to Irving? They did not affect my decision to request a trade in the slightest. We have a good team and I think we can get back to being respected. This is one of my goals for this year, regardless of the victories I want this team to be respected in the NBA, last year it didn’t happen. Marks worked well in the offseason and now we can get to work ”.

Request

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Words that, however, clash with the request for dismissal, made in August, by Sean Marks, as well as by Steve Nash. Peace reached or façade agreement, the Nets telenovela certainly has not yet produced its final chapters. Even Irving seems to have forgotten his stormy offseason, born with a not too hidden desire to leave Brooklyn, for the Lakers, and then decide for the “opt-in”. “A lot of things happened this summer, there’s no need to hide it – says Kyrie Irving – I had requests to go elsewhere and I thought about it. Not many for the truth also because I have to live with the stigma of being an unreliable player but I think it is an unjust accusation linked only to my desire not to get vaccinated. A choice that cost me millions of dollars but which I claim, I wanted to be a voice for the many who have not been heard. The relationship with KD has not changed, he remains one of my best friends, obviously his trade request took me a bit off guard but I never tried to make him change his mind, I think it’s right that everyone makes their own choices. Now we are all eager to get started and we think this group has great potential ”.

Ben Simmons

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Ben Simmons chapter. After the operation on his back, the former 76ers seems to have solved all his physical problems and comes to the camp with the desire to prove that he is still a player with great potential. “I finally feel good – underlines the Australian – both from a physical and mental point of view. I’m ready to return, I’ve worked a lot in the offseason and I think I’m in great condition ”. We start with confidence in Brooklyn, at least this is the message of the Media Day. However, the doubts are legitimate.