Ex-Nets stars must own full blame for team's implosion
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"For nine years, he refused to speak a word against that team" - Kevin Durant's mom revealed her son was frustrated with the Thunder
"For nine years, he refused to speak a word against that team" - Kevin Durant's mom revealed her son was frustrated with the Thunder originally appeared on Basketball Network. For nearly a decade, Kevin Durant stored his frowns beneath his pillow. He showed up, put his head down and tried to make it work in Oklahoma City. His bond with his teammates felt real, and the connection to the city ran deep. Through the injuries, the near-misses and the constant outside noise, he never spoke ill. "For nine years, he refused to speak a word against that team — he loved those guys and that city," said his mom, Wanda Durant, after her son's July 2016 free agency decision distorted the sports landscape. "But this summer he said, 'Mama, I can't do it anymore. They're not in this thing with me, we're not together like we were – I feel like I need something different.'" Oklahoma City had just finished one of the most painful collapses in modern playoff history — a blown 3–1 lead against the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. Up 13 with six minutes to go in Game 6. Three chances to finish it. To just need four more wins for a title. They never got there. And neither did Durant. The writing on the wall The end was a hurtful unraveling. A rupture at the seams of what had once looked like a dynasty in waiting. Durant was 27. Already a four-time scoring champ. Already an MVP. He'd battled injuries, headlines and heartbreak. He'd given everything to Oklahoma City. And suddenly, he felt like he was all alone. "It felt like that whole thing was set up for me to leave," Durant said in the aftermath of Oklahoma City's postseason collapse, "especially after they blew a lead in the Finals, because I damn sure wasn't going there if they'd won. But after Game Seven, I called up my agent and said, 'Damn, dude, Golden State – what if?'" That call changed basketball. Before July 4, 2016, Durant was still the face of the Thunder and the guy who carried a small-market franchise to relevance, who nearly toppled Kobe Bryant in 2010, who came one win away from the Finals in 2014, and who'd just come within one win again. But afterward, he was a Warrior. It was a move that detonated the NBA's competitive balance and a decision that gutted Oklahoma City. A transfer of power that echoed through every arena he walked into afterwards. But there was something deeply human about it: exhaustion. Durant had emptied himself for nine years — and for the first time, he couldn't shake the feeling that his journey wasn't shared passion Even Game 7, the one they lost in Oakland, had felt like a goodbye dressed in heartbreak. "Man, I saw us in the ball caps and T-shirts, with our fans going crazy and dancing," Durant remembered. "That town was so good to us, showed us love even when we lost. I wanted it more for them than even me." Durant scored 27 points that night on 10-for-19 shooting, but the Thunder scored just 88. Russell Westbrook went 7-for-21. They turned the ball over 12 times. Klay Thompson had just torched them in Game 6. The Warriors outlasted them with poise and movement. The Thunder had the edge in talent but lost the war in cohesion. And perhaps, that was the thread Durant couldn't unsee anymore. He knew how good he was. But he'd stopped believing it was enough and that the partnership beside him worked. It stopped feeling like the franchise could evolve fast enough to match what the game was becoming. Golden State had shown him something — not just in how they played but how connected they looked. So when the cap spike hit and the Warriors could magically create max space, the stars aligned. The world thought he was selfish, leaving poor-ole Russ high and dry. But Durant thought there was no more juice left to squeeze in Oklahoma. So he left. And while those fans down in Bricktown may never warm to his decision to depart for the enemy, they can't ignore that Durant's exit nearly a decade ago was the first domino in the Thunder's path to title story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Former Nets F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson looking to get back in NBA
The Brooklyn Nets have had plenty of players come through the franchise since its inception and the organization has always been committed to putting out a great product. Brooklyn is currently trying to rebuild after the breakup of the Big 3 in the hopes of getting back to playoff contention sometime soon and there is a former player who is looking to get back in the league. "Good morning @NBA, I was wondering if any teams had a training camp spot for an kind chap like myself," former Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said on X. Hollis-Jefferson began his NBA career with the Nets after being taken by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Arizona before being dealt to Brooklyn. "I'm like a SUV got a lot of travel miles but for the long haul(long season) you can count on me," Hollis-Jefferson continued on his post in his attempt to lobby other NBA teams for a training camp invite. "I also keep good air flow amongst the team. I also can guard just about anyone." Hollis-Jefferson, 30, played his first four years in the NBA with the Nets and based on the numbers, those were his best years in the league. Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 22.3% from three-point land. Heading into the 2019-20 season, Hollis-Jefferson joined the Toronto Raptors before playing finally playing for the Trail Blazers during the 2020-21 campaign. "I also don't mind getting guys better in practice," Hollis-Jefferson continued in his post while trying to show what his worth would be to any team looking for a veteran presence. "Pushing them to the next level. Make it tough in practice scrimmage when necessary for the core guys to be elite in game situations!" Hollis-Jefferson has effectively been out of the NBA since the 2020-21 season, but he is still 30 years old and could have something left in the tank. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Former Nets F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson looking to get back in NBA
