Steph Curry, Steve Kerr looking forward to seeing a healthy Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry jokes with Kevin Durant during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 04, 2019 in Los Angeles. Credit: Getty Images/Yong Teck Lim
It has been nearly 18 months since Kevin Durant left Golden State in free agency, but former teammate Steph Curry and coach Steve Kerr both say they are looking forward to seeing a player who helped them win titles in two of their three seasons together, even though he will be making his Nets debut against them in the season opener Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
"It will be great," Curry said Monday after practice. "He’s coming back from his injury. You want to see everybody healthy and able to play, especially with what he’s capable of doing on the court. It is our first regular-season game, so, there’s a lot of excitement around just being back in the action. It will be cool to see him out there and all those pleasantries and to just compete. That’s what we all expect."
Durant’s last appearance with Golden State was Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals when he tried to play through an injury and suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon. But Durant looked none the worse for wear in the Nets’ two preseason wins, and Kerr was impressed by the tape he saw of their most recent win at Boston, where Durant scored 25 points in 27 minutes.
"I saw the Boston game the other night, which was kind of scary for the rest of the league," Kerr said of a game in which the Nets led by as many as 36 points. "Brooklyn really showed the potential that they have. More than anything, I was thrilled to see Kevin look really exactly the same.
"I mean, I didn’t know what to expect given that it’s been really a year and a half since his last game. But I could not tell one difference between seeing him 18 months ago and seeing him the other night. He looks great, he’s smiling, he’s out there doing his thing, and I’m really happy for him."
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
