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“That’s Pretty Smart Business If You’re a Team…”: Kevin Durant Offered Blunt Take on One of NBA’s Most Polarizing Issue

Published 01/08/2023, 8:17 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Brooklyn Nets are currently in brilliant form this season. Despite struggling to stay afloat at the start of the season, the Nets turned around the entire scenario with the help of their cornerstone player Kevin Durant and another pivotal player Kyrie Irving. However, amidst all the latest success, KD recently revealed his opinions on one of the most polarizing issues in the NBA. Fans might be a little intrigued by the two-time champion’s opinions on an issue that has been a hot topic of discussion for a long time now.

The polarizing issue is nothing but ‘tanking’. Tanking is a strategy where teams intentionally exert very little effort to win games during a season to secure high draft picks in the following year’s draft. Notably, teams use this strategy when they acknowledge that they wouldn’t be making the playoffs in the current season. Reportedly, many teams are speculated to be tanking this season just for the 18-year-old sensation, Victor Wembanyama, who is supposed to be the potential number-one pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Recently, KD addressed the controversial issue which has prompted mixed opinions from NBA fans and analysts.

Kevin Durant reveals his take on tanking

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In a recent interview with Nick Friedell of ESPN, Durant made a confession regarding the ongoing tanking issue in the league. Friedell concluded the interview with the 12x All-Star by asking a vital question about tanking. The ESPN reporter asked him if the league would have an issue with tanking this year considering how much intensity is there around Wembanyama.

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Durant replied, “I don’t see a problem with it, because each year there’s only a few teams that can win it anyway. So the rest of the league is trying to figure out where they are. And that’s pretty smart business if you’re a team and you know you’re not going to be a playoff team or play-in team, you might as well try to play for [the No. 1 pick].”

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USA Today via Reuters

Moreover the 34-year-old added that by tanking, a team could try out the rotational players in their roster who don’t get a real chance to play on the court if the team is good. The two-time NBA champion concluded that by repeating this process, the lives and careers of role players would change as well and they would get an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Watch this story-  The Highest 1ST Half Point Totals in NBA History After Kevin Durant’s Nets Embarassed Warriors Without Stephen Curry

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While it is a debatable affair whether the majority of basketball fans are in favor of a team tanking. But the Nets guard made his choices pretty clear regarding one of the NBA’s most polarizing topics.

What are your thoughts on Durant’s remarks about tanking? Do you think a team should tank? Please let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Ayush Roy

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Ayush Roy is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Calcutta. Capitalizing his background in finance, Ayush likes to dive deep into the economics of the NBA.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder