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Nets' Kevin Durant: New York Knicks 'not as cool' with younger players

By Connor Grott
Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant (R) said the New York Knicks can't rely on their brand anymore to acquire big-time free agents. File Photo by Larry Smith/EPA
Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant (R) said the New York Knicks can't rely on their brand anymore to acquire big-time free agents. File Photo by Larry Smith/EPA

Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant believes the New York Knicks' brand has deteriorated over the years and many young players don't see the franchise as strong anymore.

"I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players who, in their lifetime, don't remember the Knicks being good," Durant said Tuesday in an interview with Hot 97 in New York. "I've seen the Knicks in the Finals, but kids coming up after me didn't see that. So that whole brand of the Knicks is not as cool as let's say the Golden State Warriors, or even the [Los Angeles] Lakers or the Nets now.

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"You know what I'm saying? The cool thing now is not the Knicks."

Durant, who became a free agent in the off-season, signed a multiyear contract with the Nets in free agency. At one point, the speculation during the off-season was the Knicks were expected to make a strong push to sign Durant.

Durant said Tuesday he didn't seriously consider signing with the Knicks in free agency.

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"I thought about it, yeah, just a thought. But I didn't really do any full analysis on the Knicks," Durant said.

Durant, the 2013-14 NBA MVP and two-time Finals MVP, continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles he suffered in the NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors. The Nets previously said they aren't planning on the 10-time All-Star playing this season.

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