- Durant didn’t even offer the Knicks a recruiting visit to make their pitch
- He claimed the Knicks were “not cool” to play for at the time of his free agency
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Kevin Durant has revealed his agent and several family members wanted him to sign with the New York Knicks in 2019, but the franchise was “not cool” so he joined the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant made the confession during a conversation with his agent Rich Kleiman, which was released on Tuesday.
During the portion of the video where Kleiman and Durant discuss the 14-time All-Star’s free agency decision, Kleiman said, “Do me a favor, can you tell the camera and whatever the Knicks fans are looking at, I wanted that you went to. the Knicks brother.”
“Oh, you sure did,” Durant replied. “You certainly did that, more than anything. My dad, you… don’t like the Knicks. Everyone…’
The two then explained how much Kleiman — who noted he had been a Knicks fan for more than four decades — wanted Durant to sign with New York before ultimately signing a deal with Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant’s agent and family members wanted him to sign with the Knicks in 2019
Durant instead opted to sign as a free agent with the cross-town rival Brooklyn Nets that year
He spent two and a half seasons in Brooklyn before requesting a trade and ending up in Phoenix
‘They weren’t then. The Knicks weren’t cool. But they’re a cool brand… Like right now, they’ve been popping… the last few years,” Durant said.
‘But before that the brand was cool, but I looked at the team. And the team wasn’t cool to play for.
‘The team was not cool to watch. Maybe I embellished the brand a bit or lied, maybe I threw the brand in there too.
“But of course, the Knicks brand, like living in New York, has really made me realize that this is the greatest city in the world.”
During free agency, Durant famously didn’t even give the Knicks a chance to meet with him and have a recruiting talk, despite holding his meetings near the Hamptons.
Durant, who now plays for the Phoenix Suns, played just two and a half seasons in Brooklyn before requesting a trade and landing in Arizona.