Durant confirmed the news on his media platform Boardroom. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The partnership between Nike and Durant extends beyond footwear. The two sides collaborated on several other projects together and frequently teamed up for philanthropic efforts.

“We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically,” said Durant in a statement. “We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal.”

Over the course of his partnership with Nike, Durant released 15 signature shoes. They were a huge hit among sneakerheads but also worn by other NBA players. The list includes New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen, and New Orleans Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram.

Durant’s next signature sneaker, Nike KD16, is expected to launch in August. He debuted them during the NBA playoffs in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The post Kevin Durant Signs a Lifetime Nike Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Following an unsuccessful stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook endured heavy criticism, with some even going as far as saying he doesn’t belong in the league anymore. However, after leaving the Lakers, Westbrook found his groove with the LA Clippers and is once again playing at a high level.

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, after his Phoenix Suns got a 112-100 win over Westbrook’s Clippers in Game 4 of the first-round series, Durant took issue with past criticism of Westbrook and praised him for being “resilient.”

“People going to always criticize when you’re successful and doing your thing for this long,” Durant said. “Russ has been resilient his whole life. He comes to work, and doesn’t say much. Just come hoop.”

Durant explained that people would only realize how good Westbrook was once he retires.

“When he retires, people are going to really tell the truth about his game,” he added. “Right now, the fun thing to do is to make a joke out of Russ. But the way he’s been playing since he got with the Clippers is showing everybody who he really is.”

Durant has been able to witness up close that Westbrook can still ball out. Despite playing without his co-stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who are out due to injuries, Westbrook has kept the Clippers competitive against a star-studded Phoenix Suns team. He has been averaging 26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while being a menace on the defense.

However, despite Wesbtrook’s best efforts, the Clippers find themselves on the brink of elimination. The Suns have a 3-1 lead in the series and will look to finish the job in Game 5 in Phoenix on Tuesday.

The post Kevin Durant Defends Ex-OKC Teammate Russell Westbrook After Suns’ Game 4 Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

About an hour before tipoff, the new Suns player was performing an individual drill when he lost his balance while jumping to take a shot. Although he managed to get back up and continue training, Durant’s ankle began to show swelling once he returned to the locker room, leading to the Suns ruling him out for the game.

“I feel bad for him because he feels bad,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I saw his face and — I’ve been around him so many times — I know what he’s feeling and I don’t want him feeling that way at all.”

Despite the disappointment of Durant being unable to make his home debut for the team, the Suns were able to progress without him, pulling off a 132-101 win. Devin Booker turned up as the Suns’ key player on the night, scoring 44 points on 17-of-23 shooting in just 28 minutes.

Booker finds himself in strong form, being named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

The post Kevin Durant to Undergo MRI After Ankle Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Durant scored 23 points in 27 minutes as the Suns emerged 105-91 winners against the Charlotte Hornets, thereby snapping the Hornets’ five-game winning streak in the process.

“I feel like I fit in pretty well,” Durant commented after his debut. “Everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible,” Durant said. “I just got to keep grinding, man, and this jersey on me will look normal as games go on.”

One of the main talking points of the game was Durant’s partnership with the in-form Devin Booker. With Durant’s contributions, Booker scored 37 points while adding six rebounds and seven assists.

The only area of concern that emerged from Wednesday’s victory was the Suns’ apparent reliance on a few key players. Apart from Durant and Booker, the only other player who was able to enter double digits on the scoreboard was Deandre Ayton, who scored 16 points.

The post Kevin Durant Makes Suns Debut Following Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Suns acquired Durant ahead of the NBA trade deadline in a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets that saw them give up talents Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson as well as four unprotected future first-round picks, among other assets. However, the 34-year-old player still hasn’t suited up for his new franchise due to an MCL sprain that kept him out since early January.

Before going down with the injury, Durant played at a high level and was considered an early MVP candidate. He was averaging 29.7 points per game on a career-high 55.9 percent shooting from the floor while also adding 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

Durant’s impending return is great news for the Suns as they are trying to get a better seeding in a crowded Western Conference. Phoenix is currently fifth with a 32-28 record after winning seven out of their last ten games. However, they are only three games in front of the Portland Trail Blazers, who are 12th and out of the play-in.

The Suns are getting healthy at the right time, considering their injury struggles earlier in the season. All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul both missed extended time but are healthy again and playing in a good form.

The post Kevin Durant Targets March 1st for His Suns’ Debut appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Durant picked up his injury during the third quarter of the Nets’ 102-101 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night when Heat player Jimmy Butler fell back onto Durant’s knee after his shot was blocked by Ben Simmons. While Durant got up after a few seconds and appeared to attempt to play on, the Nets called a time-out 30 seconds later, during which Durant was taken out of the game.

In January 2021, Durant injured the MCL in his left knee, leading to him missing six weeks of action. He also missed over a month in 2017 due to a sprained MCL and a tibial bone bruise.

Durant will leave a big gap in the Nets’ roster during his absence, having averaged 30 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season, thereby being included in the conversation for this season’s MVP.

The post Kevin Durant Sidelined for a Month appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Early in the offseason, Durant asked to be traded before changing his mind and giving the team owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum. He was willing to remain in Brooklyn but wanted Nash and general manager Sean Marks fired. However, Tsai remained supportive of his coaching staff and front office, which forced Durant to change his stance and agree to return to the Nets regardless.

Nash was first to break the silence on this unusual situation, telling reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t see the ultimatum the same way everyone else saw it.

“Knowing Kevin as long as I have, it didn’t really bother me the way everyone would think,” Nash said. “That’s a part of being competitors. I wasn’t overly surprised, and I wasn’t even overly concerned.”

Nash added that the media reports didn’t tell the whole story but did not follow up on his remark. According to him, all parties have left the drama behind and are now only focusing on having success in the 2022-23 NBA season.

After another disappointing playoff exit with the Nets last season, Kevin Durant reportedly grew disillusioned about the situation in Brooklyn and made a trade request. The Nets did their due diligence and engaged in talks with several teams, but many believe the team never actually fully committed to trading away their best player.

The closest the Nets came to trading Kevin Durant was during talks with the Boston Celtics, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on the package. The Celtics were willing to offer All-Star Jaylen Brown and several other assets but rejected the Nets’ request to include reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, in the deal.

The post Nets’ Coach Steve Nash on Kevin Durant Wanting Him Fired: “It Didn’t Really Bother Me” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“[Head Coach] Steve Nash and I, together with [owners] Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” said general manager Sean Marks in a statement. “We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”

Durant, who has four years left on his contract, asked the Nets to trade him earlier this offseason. The team initially complied with the request but found that there was no deal out there that would make sense.

The closest they were to making a trade was when the Boston Celtics got involved, but the two sides couldn’t come to terms about compensation. The Celtics reportedly were willing to include All-Star Jaylen Brown and multiple picks in the deal, but the talks came to a halt when the Nets also asked for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and more draft assets.

Earlier this month, Durant showed a willingness to remain in Brooklyn but issued an ultimatum to Tsai to choose between him or Nash and Marks. Tsai didn’t budge and quickly reiterated his support to the coach and the GM, which ultimately took away Durant’s leverage.

Durant finished the 2021-22 season with averages of 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. The Nets failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs, falling to the Celtics, who went on to reach the NBA finals.

The post Kevin Durant Decides to Stay with the Brooklyn Nets appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to sources close to the issue, Tsai met with Durant in London to discuss the player’s future. Durant is still insistent on moving away from the Nets after submitting a trade request on June 30. These developments come one year after the 33-year-old player signed an extension with the team.

With four years and $198 million left on his contract, the Nets can be patient when it comes to finding the best trade deal for Durant.

After joining the Nets in 2019, Durant’s tenure with the team has been riddled with issues. The player sat out the entire 2019-20 season with an Achilles tendon tear, during which time fellow new signing DeAndre Jordan was traded after a brief stint with the Nets.

Last season, Durant averaged 29.9 points in 55 games, in addition to leading the United States Men’s National Team to Olympic gold.

The post Nets’ Governor Tsai Backs Front Office During Durant Row appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to The Athletic‘s NBA insider Shams Charania, the latest team to get involved in the KD sweepstakes is the Boston Celtics. The 2022 NBA finalists have reportedly engaged in talks with the Nets and have already sent out an official offer.

Charania reports that Boston’s first offer included All-Star Jaylen Brown, guard Derrick White, and a draft pick, but the Nets decided to pass on it and counter with their own proposal. Brooklyn will accept Brown and draft picks but also wants reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and an additional rotation player included in the deal. The Celtics have so far been reluctant to make Smart part of the deal.

It is easy why both sides have the motivation to pull off a deal. The Celtics are already an NBA finals team as they are, and swapping Brown for Durant would, in theory, get them over the hump. The Nets, on the other hand, would get everything they have asked for in a potential KD trade, including an All-Star player, a starter, and draft picks.

The Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors still remain engaged with the Nets, although these conversations haven’t progressed as much as expected. On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns are considered out of the race after giving DeAndre Ayton a max deal earlier this month.

The post Boston Celtics Join the List of Kevin Durant Suitors appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Durant confirmed the news on his media platform Boardroom. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The partnership between Nike and Durant extends beyond footwear. The two sides collaborated on several other projects together and frequently teamed up for philanthropic efforts.

“We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically,” said Durant in a statement. “We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal.”

Over the course of his partnership with Nike, Durant released 15 signature shoes. They were a huge hit among sneakerheads but also worn by other NBA players. The list includes New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen, and New Orleans Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram.

Durant’s next signature sneaker, Nike KD16, is expected to launch in August. He debuted them during the NBA playoffs in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The post Kevin Durant Signs a Lifetime Nike Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Following an unsuccessful stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook endured heavy criticism, with some even going as far as saying he doesn’t belong in the league anymore. However, after leaving the Lakers, Westbrook found his groove with the LA Clippers and is once again playing at a high level.

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, after his Phoenix Suns got a 112-100 win over Westbrook’s Clippers in Game 4 of the first-round series, Durant took issue with past criticism of Westbrook and praised him for being “resilient.”

“People going to always criticize when you’re successful and doing your thing for this long,” Durant said. “Russ has been resilient his whole life. He comes to work, and doesn’t say much. Just come hoop.”

Durant explained that people would only realize how good Westbrook was once he retires.

“When he retires, people are going to really tell the truth about his game,” he added. “Right now, the fun thing to do is to make a joke out of Russ. But the way he’s been playing since he got with the Clippers is showing everybody who he really is.”

Durant has been able to witness up close that Westbrook can still ball out. Despite playing without his co-stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who are out due to injuries, Westbrook has kept the Clippers competitive against a star-studded Phoenix Suns team. He has been averaging 26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while being a menace on the defense.

However, despite Wesbtrook’s best efforts, the Clippers find themselves on the brink of elimination. The Suns have a 3-1 lead in the series and will look to finish the job in Game 5 in Phoenix on Tuesday.

The post Kevin Durant Defends Ex-OKC Teammate Russell Westbrook After Suns’ Game 4 Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

About an hour before tipoff, the new Suns player was performing an individual drill when he lost his balance while jumping to take a shot. Although he managed to get back up and continue training, Durant’s ankle began to show swelling once he returned to the locker room, leading to the Suns ruling him out for the game.

“I feel bad for him because he feels bad,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I saw his face and — I’ve been around him so many times — I know what he’s feeling and I don’t want him feeling that way at all.”

Despite the disappointment of Durant being unable to make his home debut for the team, the Suns were able to progress without him, pulling off a 132-101 win. Devin Booker turned up as the Suns’ key player on the night, scoring 44 points on 17-of-23 shooting in just 28 minutes.

Booker finds himself in strong form, being named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

The post Kevin Durant to Undergo MRI After Ankle Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Durant scored 23 points in 27 minutes as the Suns emerged 105-91 winners against the Charlotte Hornets, thereby snapping the Hornets’ five-game winning streak in the process.

“I feel like I fit in pretty well,” Durant commented after his debut. “Everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible,” Durant said. “I just got to keep grinding, man, and this jersey on me will look normal as games go on.”

One of the main talking points of the game was Durant’s partnership with the in-form Devin Booker. With Durant’s contributions, Booker scored 37 points while adding six rebounds and seven assists.

The only area of concern that emerged from Wednesday’s victory was the Suns’ apparent reliance on a few key players. Apart from Durant and Booker, the only other player who was able to enter double digits on the scoreboard was Deandre Ayton, who scored 16 points.

The post Kevin Durant Makes Suns Debut Following Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Suns acquired Durant ahead of the NBA trade deadline in a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets that saw them give up talents Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson as well as four unprotected future first-round picks, among other assets. However, the 34-year-old player still hasn’t suited up for his new franchise due to an MCL sprain that kept him out since early January.

Before going down with the injury, Durant played at a high level and was considered an early MVP candidate. He was averaging 29.7 points per game on a career-high 55.9 percent shooting from the floor while also adding 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

Durant’s impending return is great news for the Suns as they are trying to get a better seeding in a crowded Western Conference. Phoenix is currently fifth with a 32-28 record after winning seven out of their last ten games. However, they are only three games in front of the Portland Trail Blazers, who are 12th and out of the play-in.

The Suns are getting healthy at the right time, considering their injury struggles earlier in the season. All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul both missed extended time but are healthy again and playing in a good form.

The post Kevin Durant Targets March 1st for His Suns’ Debut appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Durant picked up his injury during the third quarter of the Nets’ 102-101 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night when Heat player Jimmy Butler fell back onto Durant’s knee after his shot was blocked by Ben Simmons. While Durant got up after a few seconds and appeared to attempt to play on, the Nets called a time-out 30 seconds later, during which Durant was taken out of the game.

In January 2021, Durant injured the MCL in his left knee, leading to him missing six weeks of action. He also missed over a month in 2017 due to a sprained MCL and a tibial bone bruise.

Durant will leave a big gap in the Nets’ roster during his absence, having averaged 30 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season, thereby being included in the conversation for this season’s MVP.

The post Kevin Durant Sidelined for a Month appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Early in the offseason, Durant asked to be traded before changing his mind and giving the team owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum. He was willing to remain in Brooklyn but wanted Nash and general manager Sean Marks fired. However, Tsai remained supportive of his coaching staff and front office, which forced Durant to change his stance and agree to return to the Nets regardless.

Nash was first to break the silence on this unusual situation, telling reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t see the ultimatum the same way everyone else saw it.

“Knowing Kevin as long as I have, it didn’t really bother me the way everyone would think,” Nash said. “That’s a part of being competitors. I wasn’t overly surprised, and I wasn’t even overly concerned.”

Nash added that the media reports didn’t tell the whole story but did not follow up on his remark. According to him, all parties have left the drama behind and are now only focusing on having success in the 2022-23 NBA season.

After another disappointing playoff exit with the Nets last season, Kevin Durant reportedly grew disillusioned about the situation in Brooklyn and made a trade request. The Nets did their due diligence and engaged in talks with several teams, but many believe the team never actually fully committed to trading away their best player.

The closest the Nets came to trading Kevin Durant was during talks with the Boston Celtics, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on the package. The Celtics were willing to offer All-Star Jaylen Brown and several other assets but rejected the Nets’ request to include reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, in the deal.

The post Nets’ Coach Steve Nash on Kevin Durant Wanting Him Fired: “It Didn’t Really Bother Me” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“[Head Coach] Steve Nash and I, together with [owners] Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” said general manager Sean Marks in a statement. “We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”

Durant, who has four years left on his contract, asked the Nets to trade him earlier this offseason. The team initially complied with the request but found that there was no deal out there that would make sense.

The closest they were to making a trade was when the Boston Celtics got involved, but the two sides couldn’t come to terms about compensation. The Celtics reportedly were willing to include All-Star Jaylen Brown and multiple picks in the deal, but the talks came to a halt when the Nets also asked for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and more draft assets.

Earlier this month, Durant showed a willingness to remain in Brooklyn but issued an ultimatum to Tsai to choose between him or Nash and Marks. Tsai didn’t budge and quickly reiterated his support to the coach and the GM, which ultimately took away Durant’s leverage.

Durant finished the 2021-22 season with averages of 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. The Nets failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs, falling to the Celtics, who went on to reach the NBA finals.

The post Kevin Durant Decides to Stay with the Brooklyn Nets appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to sources close to the issue, Tsai met with Durant in London to discuss the player’s future. Durant is still insistent on moving away from the Nets after submitting a trade request on June 30. These developments come one year after the 33-year-old player signed an extension with the team.

With four years and $198 million left on his contract, the Nets can be patient when it comes to finding the best trade deal for Durant.

After joining the Nets in 2019, Durant’s tenure with the team has been riddled with issues. The player sat out the entire 2019-20 season with an Achilles tendon tear, during which time fellow new signing DeAndre Jordan was traded after a brief stint with the Nets.

Last season, Durant averaged 29.9 points in 55 games, in addition to leading the United States Men’s National Team to Olympic gold.

The post Nets’ Governor Tsai Backs Front Office During Durant Row appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to The Athletic‘s NBA insider Shams Charania, the latest team to get involved in the KD sweepstakes is the Boston Celtics. The 2022 NBA finalists have reportedly engaged in talks with the Nets and have already sent out an official offer.

Charania reports that Boston’s first offer included All-Star Jaylen Brown, guard Derrick White, and a draft pick, but the Nets decided to pass on it and counter with their own proposal. Brooklyn will accept Brown and draft picks but also wants reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and an additional rotation player included in the deal. The Celtics have so far been reluctant to make Smart part of the deal.

It is easy why both sides have the motivation to pull off a deal. The Celtics are already an NBA finals team as they are, and swapping Brown for Durant would, in theory, get them over the hump. The Nets, on the other hand, would get everything they have asked for in a potential KD trade, including an All-Star player, a starter, and draft picks.

The Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors still remain engaged with the Nets, although these conversations haven’t progressed as much as expected. On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns are considered out of the race after giving DeAndre Ayton a max deal earlier this month.

The post Boston Celtics Join the List of Kevin Durant Suitors appeared first on yoursportspot.com.