Kyrie Irving addresses Kevin Durant's comments, Ime Udoka's Nets departure

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant's time with the Brooklyn Nets concluded without an NBA championship, a failure Durant recently discussed on the "Mind the Game" podcast with LeBron James and former Nets coach Steve Nash. Durant specifically pointed to coaches departing for rival teams as a significant issue that hampered the franchise.

Irving responded to Durant's comments during a stream, agreeing with the sentiment and elaborating on the impact of coach Ime Udoka's move to the Boston Celtics. Irving emphasized that Udoka, after coaching with the Nets, joining the Celtics within their division gave Boston an unfair advantage, as Udoka possessed intimate knowledge of the Nets' strengths, weaknesses, and game plans.

Irving detailed how this insider information directly affected the 2022 NBA playoffs matchup between the Nets and Celtics. He stated that Udoka had Boston exceptionally prepared, leading to a chaotic and difficult series that ended with the Celtics sweeping the Nets in the first round. Irving affirmed Durant's assessment, acknowledging the disruptive effect of the coaching departures.

The article also references the Nets' highly anticipated 2020-21 season, where Irving, Durant, and James Harden formed a star-studded trio expected to contend for a title. However, injuries derailed their lone postseason run together; the trio played only 16 total games, posting strong records in both the regular season (8-2) and playoffs (5-1) when available, but failing to achieve their championship goal.

The situation deteriorated the following season (2021-22), culminating in Harden requesting and receiving a trade. The season ended with the aforementioned first-round playoff sweep by Udoka's Celtics. This series marked the final postseason appearance for Irving and Durant as Nets teammates, as both players were traded the subsequent season.