Former NBA star Kevin Garnett believes Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant should have signed with the New York Knicks.
This past offseason, Kyrie Irving opted not to re-sign with the Boston Celtics, the team he’d been with the previous two campaigns. Instead, he went a little West and joined the Brooklyn Nets, a ballclub that had just lost in the first round of the playoffs the previous Spring.
Some were happy about the move, some weren’t, some simply understood it. All-time great, Kevin Garnett, understands why Kyrie left Boston, but believes both he and Kevin Durant chose the wrong New York club, per Ian Begley of SNY.
“If they did the Nets, I thought they should have done the Knicks, if I’m being honest,” Garnett said. “I’m not a Knick fan by far. But if they come to the city and dominate, man. …The first superstar to hit New York and be vibing is going to be bigger than life. Remember I said that. Any piece of hope in this city is going to skyrocket. People are waiting.”
Garnett, a man who went from Boston to Brooklyn in a different way, wasn’t surprised it didn’t work out for Kyrie up North.
“Boston’s a tough town, dawg. You have to have some major cojones to be there,” he said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “You got to want that. The people want it for you. That’s why Paul (Pierce) is perfect for it. Paul wants the shot every time. Like, ‘You’re 0-for-14.’ And he’s like, ‘I know, but they WANT it.'”
Garnett ultimately responded “no” when asked if he was surprised that Irving made the move.
Garnett only spent about 1.5 seasons in Brooklyn before he was traded back to his original team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the contrary, he spent six years in Boston, winning his only title there in 2008.
Irving is currently dealing with a right shoulder injury, as he’s only suited up for 11 games thus far in his Brooklyn tenure.
