NEW YORK — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving like to gripe.
With the media winds swirling around them, the two (as of now Nets) superstars can’t complain about their lack of national TV appearances this season. The national sked was made while they were — very publicly — keeping their Brooklyn future up in the air.
That’s why Brooklyn’s national TV appearances have gone from 26 last season to 13 for 2022-23. That’s why matchups with the Lakers and Warriors have currently been relegated to NBA TV rather than TNT, ESPN or ABC. That’s why the Nets are not playing on the NBA’s Christmas TV spectacular. Later in the season, the NBA’s TV partners could have some flexibility to make changes. Yet by early in 2023, can anyone guarantee Durant or Irving will still be with the Nets?
Or as The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently wrote: “Brooklyn is defined by uncertainty.”
Those words should be ingrained in the heads of anyone covering — or interested in — the Nets circus. Especially when it starts traveling from city to city. This recent, so-called truce agreed to by Durant, after “peace” talks in Los Angeles with Nets brass and a statement by Sean Marks (the GM he tried to oust), isn’t worth the paper it was written on.
Does anyone really think either Durant or Irving is likely to throw in the towel after not getting their way? After all, they are The Real Nets of Brooklyn. One meeting, and one statement is not going to stop this compelling reality show. The Nets are the NBA’s No. 1 story. The L.A. meeting, and the “partnership” declaration, just keeps folks talking basketball in the dog days of August.
That’s a good thing for the NBA. And not such a good thing for Major League Baseball.
Some of the reactions are unusual. Like Stephen A. Smith definitively declaring Nets owner Joe Tsai a conquering hero for carrying the owners’ water by not caving into Durant’s demands and making The Sensitive One adhere to his contract. Let’s see how long that lasts?
There are a few upcoming RNOB episodes to look forward too. Like when training camp opens and the media tweets out videos of Durant, Marks and Steve Nash’s (Durant wanted him fired too) body language. How high will the discomfort level be? Then, there will be questions to Durant about the performances of Nash and Marks. What will Durant’s spin be?
Will he say this was all just about business, trade negotiations? Or will Durant fire a preemptive strike on Twitter before camp opens?
Then, what happens if the Nets get off slowly in the regular season? On YES, the TV home of the Nets, will Sarah Kustok and Ian (The Bird) Eagle analyze how the offseason static may have affected what’s happening on the court? Will they analyze Nash’s coaching (they didn’t get into it much last season) and remind fixated eyeballs how Durant wanted him fired?
Or will they leave it to viewers to figure things out and deal with uncertainty?
