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Former NBA Champion Rips Kevin Durant and James Harden For Being “Soft” on Kyrie Irving: “If They Had Any Umph About Themselves…”

Published 01/19/2022, 11:07 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Brooklyn Nets are a top team in the NBA. However, they are currently facing some serious trouble. With Kevin Durant out, it only leaves James Harden as a full time star in the unit. While Kyrie Irving is back, he can only play road games for the Nets. Consequently, a former NBA champion wants Durant and Harden to take the initiative and call out their teammate.

Kendrick Perkins believes the Nets locker room is ‘soft’ for not standing up against Kyrie. Earlier, Irving took a stand and decided not to fall in line with the league’s protocols.

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The Nets and KAI drama has been on for the entirety of this season. With Kyrie’s decision, the Nets even kept him off as a player. However, with so many players going into health and safety protocols, they pulled him back in. But even then he comes with the restrictions of only being available for road games.

Kendrick Perkins calls Kevin Durant soft for not standing up to Kyrie Irving

The Nets made headlines when they got the package of KD and Kyrie both together. Then, they became more of a powerhouse after adding in Harden. However, they are yet to exploit this trio to the fullest. And with the current scenario, the trio can’t compete together every single night. This is the reason Perkins didn’t like Durant and Harden’s approach, and wanted them to take a firm stand against KAI.

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He said: “They’re soft, starting with KD and James because if they had any type of umph about themselves, they would actually say, ‘Hey dog, look here man this is what’s going on.’ I don’t want to hear from KD in the interview saying, ‘Oh man, Kyrie a grown man, we have to respect his decisions.’ No, call him out.”

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USA Today via Reuters

Kyrie has made it clear that he isn’t going to change his stand no matter what the situation. Hence, the duo can’t do much on their end. But this sure will affect the Nets, especially come playoffs. With Irving available for only road games, they won’t have him on the court for half the series. This could serve as a big disadvantage when the competition level is at its highest.

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Moreover, right now with KD out, they desperately need Irving every night. However, with his current situation, that isn’t possible. The Nets won’t be able to reap all the rewards of this monster trio unless Kyrie decides to change his stand. But till then, the Nets will remain shorthanded which could cost them in the long run.

Do you think Kevin Durant should be firm with Kyrie in this matter? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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