When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving united on the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, they were dubbed as the next great duo to join hands. However, the experiment of putting together KD and Irving failed miserably as the Nets were haunted by injuries. Nearly two years after the breakup of the superstar squad, Charles Barkley had some strong words for the tenure of Durant and Irving in Brooklyn.
On Tuesday night’s ‘Inside the NBA’ show on TNT, Charles Barkley called out Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for their disastrous stint with the Nets. The Chuckster was especially critical of the way coach Kenny Atkinson was treated by the star duo after just one season together. Barkley fired off his views in light of the recent success of Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
People forget, now think about three or four years ago we were bragging about Kenny Atkinson doing a great job in Brooklyn… He was doing a fabulous job, we were like this guy might be the next really really good coach. Then KD and Kyrie came there and they kicked him off the ship.
Charles Barkley said on the show
“Bet! Name it! How much? Two Million!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/0syG1HoxeL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 19, 2024
In their first season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets were riddled with injuries and Covid-19 concerns, leading them to miss the playoffs. Following this, the Nets proceeded to fire HC Kenny Atkinson and hire the HOF-er Steve Nash instead. Importantly, Durant and Irving played a key role in the hiring of Nash, as both stars have maintained close ties with the former Suns star.
Charles Barkley ranted about the Nets’ decision to fire Atkinson for the sake of keeping their superstar acquisitions happy. The Nets would proceed to eventually unite Durant and Irving with James Harden under Nash before they eventually dissolved the group in 2023. They would go on to win just one playoff series in their time together after being marred by injuries and off-court issues.
Charles Barkley raves about success of Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the hottest team in the NBA right now. Even after suffering their first loss of the season on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, they still sit atop the Eastern Conference. They took the reigning champions down to the wire before falling short in a 120-117 loss. However, the loss did not move Charles Barkley, who raved about the coaching of Kenny Atkinson and the growth of the team.
Cleveland is for real. I think coach Atkinson’s made a huge difference. They got really good players. they’re mature.
Charles Barkley said following the Cavs loss
Although Barkley still believes that the Boston Celtics are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, he tipped his hat to the Cavs. He especially praised the coaching prowess of the team’s new HC, Atkinson. After the Cavaliers fell short in the second round of the playoffs last season, the addition of Atkinson to the team has made them one of the best teams in the league with a 15-1 record.
