Kevin Durant explained how NBA players perceive the New York Knicks and why they do not see them as “cool” anymore as a destination.
The New York Knicks were long speculated to be in play for Kevin Durant in the months leading to 2019 NBA free agency. Of course, that did not happen, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP signed a four-year contract with the crosstown Brooklyn Nets.
At Nets Media Day, when asked if he considered other teams like the Knicks or someone else with cap space, Durant said it was only brief. He and Kyrie Irving set their sights on Brooklyn, and they made it happen quickly in free agency.
Why not the Knicks, though? Durant answered that, among other topics, in an interview with Hot 97 (h/t SNY). He said, he did not do any “deep, full analysis” on joining Madison Square Garden’s team.
To go one step further, Durant explained the Knicks’ difficulty to attract stars:
"“I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players who, in their lifetime, don’t remember the Knicks being good. I didn’t grow up with the Knicks,” he said. “I’ve seen the Knicks in the Finals, but kids coming up after me didn’t see that. So that whole brand of the Knicks to them is not as cool as, let’s say, the Golden State Warriors or even the Lakers or the Nets now.“It’s like the cool thing right now is not the Knicks,” he added."
The Knicks do play in a high-profile market, but for those young players who watched the NBA of the past 20 years, other teams have taken that prestigious mantle once held by the orange and blue. The Warriors just made the NBA Finals in five consecutive years; the Clippers gained steam over the past nine years, after Chris Paul arrived in a blockbuster trade; the Nets even made two NBA Finals in the early 2000s and became a hot brand upon arrival to Brooklyn.
However, the Knicks have just six postseason appearances since losing the 1999 NBA Finals, two of which featured runs to the second round or later; they have not made a conference finals since 2000.
That 20-year span was the youthful time for an increasing number of players, as the latest birthdays drift from 1999 to 2000 and on. The freshest talents did not grow up with good Knicks teams.
Instead, along with the aforementioned franchises, teams like the Heat, Lakers and Spurs were winning titles, and the purple and gold remain a hot commodity today.
It may take a longer stretch than just one year for the New York Knicks to become a team the future generation of NBA players appreciate and find “cool.” Four winning seasons in the 2000s will not accomplish that, so steps taken, like the current rebuild, can help work their way back to glory.