Google News Stephen A. Smith: What happened in Brooklyn has set NBA players back decades
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Stephen A. Smith says what happened in Brooklyn will "set NBA players back decades" and he is partly blaming Kevin Durant for it. This offseason, Durant requested a trade from the Nets but nothing happened after he decided to rescind his trade request and stay in Brooklyn.
Since coming to Brooklyn, the Nets have done everything possible to meet Durant's demands. But Durant requested a trade from the Nets this offseason and it took the two sides nearly two months to reconcile. "So, as a player he did nothing wrong.
Where he’s accountable is everything else they did was because of him. Their level of tolerance was Kyrie was because of him, the $40 million they gave to DeAndre Jordan because of him, Steve Nash being the coach because of him, he and Sean Marks wanted him that was his guy, but that was Kevin Durant’s guy too.
That’s what you wanted. You had Mark Jackson out there, you had Ty Lue, you had numerous others and you signed off on Steve Nash," Smith said on ESPN's First Take.
Smith. What has happened in Brooklyn has set NBA players back decades
The Nets have been in the centre of drama over the last year and Smith says NBA owners have taken notice.
“Wait until CBA negotiations come,” Smith continued. “You gonna have rules named after these guys. There’s gonna be a Kyrie rule, there’s gonna be a James Harden rule, there’s gonna be a Ben Simmons rule.
You can book it. They ain’t playing. The one thing you can’t tolerate. How can you be receptive to paying dudes who don’t want to play? You don’t have to collude with other owners to rally together in terms of your mindset and say ‘enough of this.’ You can sit up there and be the biggest headache in the world owners and executive and the NBA will get over it if you show up and play.
You show up and play and you ball, and the results follow you, they’ll tolerate a lot. I have never seen owners this gung-ho. They’re tired of it. What has happened in Brooklyn alone is enough to have set NBA players back decades.
That’s the he kind of the damage that this kind of nonsense that was going on has done”. The Nets entered this offseason with the real possibility of losing both stars, Durant and Kyrie Irving. Since, Durant has rescinded his trade request and Irving has opted into the final year of his contract.
