After being rebuilt on the values of work and collective, the Brooklyn Nets turned to the stars. By engaging Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant first, then by bringing in James Harden. By embracing the star system, have they gone too far?
For years, the Brooklyn Nets struggled in terms of results despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent. Then they decided to set up a real culture, in which the work, the collective and the responsibility of the players were key values. More than the players, he was their coach Kenny Atkinson who was at the center of it all. A real symbol in a “league of players” more than a “league of coaches”.
After a 2018-19 season which saw him return to the playoffs, BK decided to step up a gear. To this very solid core, the other New York franchise has decided to add two very, very big names, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
We hoped to see them integrate and optimize this culture developed in previous years. To tell the truth, it is a total change of culture which took place. The Nets have swung into the star system, with all that that implies.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving treated like royalty
Starting with doing everything to make their stars happy. Their buddy DeAndre Jordan was signed with a monstrous contract. They got the better of Kenny Atkinson and most likely chose the new coach. Kyrie Irving was able to give free rein to all her desires (outings against the Covid protocol,…) and non-desire (to play, to meet the media…).
Kyrie Irving got the Nets drunk, but no trade in sight
The culmination of the process, the signing of another friend, James Harden, also a star who had all the rights in his previous club.
But this star system would have gone even further, flirting with “NBA illegality”. This is in any case what reports Matt Sullivan, who followed the so special season 2019-20, with the Nets, and made a book, “Can’t Knock The Hustle”. He told the Dan Le Batard Show about it:
“A very senior official with the Brooklyn Nets, who has a lot to do with the club’s finances, simply said that there was a blank check when these guys arrived. Whether it’s paying for a house in California for a week for a girlfriend or a mistress, or whether it’s taking out money for the guys, for those around them, equipment and materials for whatever stuff, they’re totally cool with it.
It could be just renting a shack out of the team’s budget. These guys don’t pay for most of their personal expenses themselves. And suddenly, every week the Nets financial team is like, ‘OK, we thought we had it all planned out. But we have to redo the budget every week ‘. And for them, it’s like there’s something new every time.
There are a whole bunch of things the Nets do that aren’t kosher. There’s a reason they’ve put this sort of Kremlin-esque wall around everything they do. Right in the middle of Covid, they had half the team – basically Kyrie, KD and their friends on the team – train in the old gym in Kobe, Calif. You weren’t allowed to do this while in confinement.
They were running a secret camp the whole time, to keep Kyrie and KD in good shape. “
Brooklyn Nets illegal?
If there are a large number of gray areas, circumvention of the salary cap by back door means is a real offense. Teams are not supposed to spend that much on their player. It is logically considered as a method to spin more money than what the regulation of the wage bill allows.
Such violations can result in very large fines or cancellation of the contract. Of course, certain practices are tolerated. Teams sometimes hire family members of a player or a friend. But there is work – more or less real in practice – in return.
The NBA had investigated Kawhi Leonard and his uncle for less than that. The famous Dennis Robertson would have asked the Lakers for a house and other illegal “incentives”. After Leonard signed to the Clippers, a man accused the Clippers of offering him a lot of money to bring in the player. The NBA had investigated.
It’s hard to know here if the Nets have indeed shown too much largesse vis-à-vis their stars. But if these facts are true, the NBA risks sanctioning.
Either way, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden seem to be treated very well in Brooklyn… And that says a lot about behind the scenes at our favorite sport.
Kevin Durant jealous at the Warriors? He gets annoyed and empties his bag!
