Throughout last season, both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were routinely tied to the New York Knicks. The belief was that both players would sign, but they ultimately opted for contracts with the Brooklyn Nets. The reason, which Durant provided during an appearance on Ebro in the Morning, was that the Knicks aren’t cool. Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport saw these comments, and he clearly disagrees.
“The Knicks are always gonna be cool,” Rapaport said on Monday, per TMZ Sports. “Basketball is the city’s game. World’s most famous arena. KD was considering coming to the Knicks, he decided to go to Brooklyn. Don’t worry about us. We know our deficiencies.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Durant believes that the Knicks aren’t cool due to a lack of playoff success. Since an appearance in the 1999 NBA Finals, the Knicks have made the playoffs just six times. Four of those trips have ended in the first round.
Despite these comments, Rapaport does not appear to be holding any grudges against the newest member of the Nets. Instead, he said that having Durant healthy and recovered from his ruptured Achilles is far more important to him and those that root for the Knicks.
“We want to see KD healthy. We want to see him back on the court,” Rapaport continued. “You got a big task in front of you — you and your flat-earth friend, Kyrie Irving — don’t worry about the New York Knicks right now. Just worry about staying healthy and getting back on the court.”
To this point, Rapaport asked why Durant is taking interviews. He believes that anyone who will miss a season should simply be focused on the long road to full health instead of talking about opposing teams.
Originally the second overall pick of the Seattle Supersonics in the 2007 NFL Draft, Durant has been active in the NBA for 12 seasons. He has been named an All-Star 10 times, helped the Golden State Warriors win the NBA Championship twice, and was named Finals MVP twice.
Despite the injury, Durant was still viewed as a top option for both New York-based teams, but the Nets were the ultimate victors in this competition. While he did say that the “cool” factor was critical in his decision to sign with Brooklyn, Durant also provided a more in-depth answer to reporters. Specifically, he was very impressed with the Nets’ operation.
“We know basketball pretty well, and it’s really easy to see what these guys brought to the table,” Durant said. “It’s not like I had to do any deep analysis of any player here. Just watching games and playing against them and seeing the continuity throughout the last couple of years, it was pretty easy to figure out what kind of team and what kind of organization this place is.”
Regardless of his reason for choosing the Nets over the Knicks, Rapaport doesn’t want to hear about whether or not this team is “cool.” He simply wants the 12-year veteran to simply focus on his recovery instead of taking shots at Rapaport’s favorite team.
