Kyrie Irving spoke clean about the potential he had with James Harden and Kevin Durant when playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Following their matchup in the Mavericks vs. Clippers game, Kyrie Irving and James Harden were quite open about their time together on the Brooklyn Nets. Irving offered a humorous comparison between the three and “the girl that got away” in order to highlight what the group might have accomplished. 

“It’s unfortunate that me, James, and KD are part of NBA history ‘what if’s’ of having a superteam and expectations on us. We had a few good seasons, but outside the things we couldn’t control with the vaccine stuff and the scenarios and circumstances, I think we did pretty well… It’s kind of like the girl that got away. It’ll hurt you for the rest of your life. Looking back, you got a great bad wife, kids, and all that and you’re like, ‘Tss.’ I don’t second guess it, I don’t wanna get in trouble with my wife. ‘I’m not thinking about nobody else, baby.’ But it feels like FOMO, like you missed out on something.” 

Irving’s remarks are universally shared by NBA fans worldwide, especially considering the accomplishments the Nets made in the little time the three players were on the court. If not for the injuries that both Irving and Harden sustained throughout the playoffs, they would have gone 13-3 in games in which they were all healthy and had a strong chance of winning the 2021 championship.

After that season, with Irving refusing to play games and the COVID vaccination requirement coming into effect, the wheels would come off the bus. As a result, James Harden asked for and received a trade, sending Ben Simmons to the 76ers. All of it crumbled in the end, and now Harden, Irving, and Durant are on separate Western Conference teams.

The Brooklyn Nets Were Unable to Handle Too Many Star Egos

A star-studded roster should keep in mind that managing their personalities will be more difficult than it is for other NBA players. Durant, Irving, and Harden were the three vocal Nets stars who never hesitated to express their opinions to the public and do what they wanted. Thus, before the Nets officially moved everyone away in February 2023, a lot of things went wrong.  

Due to Kyrie’s suspension from the team until New York removed the COVID-19 vaccination rule, the 2021–22 season was doomed for the team. As a result, Harden eventually asked to be traded to the 76ers, and his request was approved, resulting in Ben Simmons of the Nets as the reward. Due to his injury issues, Simmons was unable to make much of an impact on the floor.

The Nets had a great start to the 22–23 season, finishing 12–1 in December to secure the top seed in the East, after the denial of trade demands from both Irving and Durant in the 2022 summer. Their momentum was dashed by Durant’s injury, and Irving asked for a trade once again in February when they were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension. The Nets gave in this time and traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks.

All Durant could do was follow suit when the Nets sent him to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a big trade deal.

These three’s glimpses revealed a championship dynasty. All of them will understandably see it as a wasted chance since KD and Kyrie alone provided glimpses that established them as serious contenders in the East. Fortunately, Irving and Durant have already won titles and are still in the running for more, but this isn’t the Nets as dominant as it seems on paper.