When in the summer of 2019 point guard Kyrie Irving, sharpshooter-forward Kevin Durant and versatile combo guard James Harden joined forces under the roof of Barclays Center, it seemed we were about to witness a new dynasty. Two MVPs and the hero of the legendary 2016 championship-clinching shot, all at the peak of their individual mastery — a perfect storm for titles. Yet a few years later the Nets disintegrated, leaving behind only questions and disappointment. In his fresh interview Irving tried to sort out why a super-club assembled “on paper” never turned into a monster on the hardwood.
Dream Start: How the Super-Team Puzzle Came Together
The 2020 Nets project began like a textbook on star-building: one big fish in the free-agent pond attracts another, and then a third. Durant agreed to sign barely recovered from a torn Achilles because he knew a partner’s chair had already been reserved for him. Irving, homesick for Brooklyn after a turbulent year in Boston, didn't hesitate for a second. Harden’s trade arrival in the winter of 2021 completed the picture: an MVP-caliber trio capable of pouring in 90 points on any given night. The numbers from the first 16 games the trio played together looked like a glossy brochure: 13-3, a cosmic offensive rating and fans’ absolute certainty that this was only the beginning.
“They Took Me for KD”: Irving on the Hidden Pitfalls of His Move
Today Kyrie openly admits he joined the team without really meeting general manager Sean Marks or the front office. “Looking back, I realize I was just bait for the club to sign Kevin,” the playmaker confesses. He recalls discussing their shared future with Durant while the latter was still on crutches, while Irving himself never thought through the details — the status of a friend and the promise of hunting for rings together seemed more important than bureaucracy. According to Kyrie, that haste became the project’s first stone in the shoe.
Clash of Philosophies: Coaches, Management and the Fight for Influence
Former head coach Kenny Atkinson, known for strict discipline and a love of ball movement, quickly felt uncomfortable with two isolation superstars. After his dismissal the chair went to rookie coach Steve Nash — a friend of Marks and, crucially, Durant’s preferred choice. Irving, who had been offered full participation in selecting the coach, waved it off: “If KD is in, I’m fine.” Later he realized he had voluntarily given up the controls. Two unofficial hierarchies formed inside the roster: everything, including rehab programs, was built around Durant, while Kyrie remained a “free artist” whose requests were often ignored.
Vaccine Crisis, Scandals and Trade Requests
The 2022 season turned into an obstacle course: New York’s strict COVID protocols deprived Irving of home games, and his refusal to get vaccinated blew up the media space. The guard missed half of the regular season, then landed at the center of controversy for reposting a documentary with anti-Semitic overtones. When extension talks hit a dead end, the player directly asked the Nets to buy out his deal. “If you don’t see me as a long-term asset, let me go,” Kyrie recalls. But a front office that had invested in the three stars was not about to give up the asset for nothing.
Harden Leaves, Chaos Grows: The Project’s Turning Point
The peak of disorder came in February 2022: Harden, who only a day earlier had assured teammates that everything was under control, requested a trade to Philadelphia the next morning. “It shocked all of us,” Irving says. In the guard’s view injuries, a lack of clear roles and media pressure eroded the team’s chemistry. At the same time assistant coach Ime Udoka left for Boston, helping the Celtics draw up schemes to neutralize their former team’s strengths. Every new link in that chain intensified the sense of chaos — and no measure to restore stability was found.
Regrets and Lessons: What the Half-Built Brooklyn Left Behind
Looking back today, Irving admits his own immaturity: “I was 27-28, I felt like the king of the world and couldn’t be bothered to study the club’s kitchen.” He is convinced that if the core had played at least 50 games together NBA history might have taken a completely different turn. “When we were healthy, we were unstoppable,” the playmaker emphasizes. Yet basketball is not only iso possessions and efficient trips; it is also trust, transparent roles and management decisions taken on time.
The Nets project became a lesson for everyone — general managers eager to collect names without accounting for psychology, and players ready to change addresses for a flashy sign. The star trio proved that without systemic support even the brightest talent can turn into a short flash instead of a long-lasting supernova. Irving, now cutting up the hardwood in Dallas, says it without rancor: “I don’t blame anyone — we just couldn’t synchronize. But the experience is priceless: before you sign the contract of your dreams, meet the people who will fire up that engine.”
Thus ended one of the most intriguing yet unfinished basketball chapters of the 2020s. The 2025 Finals, where not a single super-trio found room on the podium, confirms that championships are won by depth, balance and mutual trust.
