SEE IT: Nets honor Kevin Durant with tribute video in Brooklyn return

In his first game back in Brooklyn since he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns ahead of the trade deadline last year, the Nets honored Kevin Durant with a tribute video.

The video, played before Durant was introduced, was received with applause – and a smattering of boos – from the Barclays Center crowd.

"It's classy people here," Durant said after scoring 33 points in the Suns' 136-120 win. "They appreciate everybody who donned a jersey... and that shows a great organization when you can appreciate everybody who stepped foot and put their blood, sweat and tears into your organization. So, I respect that,"

Earlier this week, Durant, who spent parts of four seasons in Brooklyn, bristled at the idea of the Nets toasting him with a video.

“What did I do to deserve that?” the ex-Net said Sunday about a tribute video, via the Arizona Republic. 

“Seriously, or is it because of my name? I’m just another player, man,” he continued. “I don’t deserve none of this extra attention, everybody looking at me when the game starts. The game is about all the players on the court. It ain’t about me. I was there for three years, four years and we didn’t accomplish anything worth being celebrated for. That’s just how I feel.”

He later added: “I don’t feel like I deserve one. I didn’t feel like I stayed there long enough. I didn’t put in enough work. I didn’t leave a lasting impact.”

However, Durant admitted that he did watch the video the Nets showed. 

"Of course," he said with a laugh after Wednesday's game. "I mean I had some great moments here, a lot of stuff that flew under the radar. But everybody. in this organization and my teammates, we understood what the moment was like. Something I'm always gonna remember playing here."

Before the game, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over after Steve Nash was fired seven games into last season, said Durant “made him a better coach.” 

"For me, my experience with Kevin I'll never forget,” Vaughn said. “There’s one thing I never ever doubted is… going into a game, he wanted to win that game. And that competitiveness and that ability to show up every night is special and he is a special human being. 

“Nothing but good and fond memories for me. I'm glad I had the chance to coach him. He is an unbelievable player and one of the best to ever suit up."

After missing his first season in Brooklyn recovering from an Achilles injury, Durant advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once, reaching the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Nets lost to that year’s eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, dropping Game 7 at home, 115-111,  in overtime. Durant scored 48 points with nine rebounds and six assists in the series-deciding game.

“That’s the only game that had a lasting impact on anybody,” he said this week about the loss.

In February of 2023, the Nets sent Durant to Phoenix in a four-team trade that also sent TJ Warren to the Suns for a return package of multiple first-round draft picks, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.

In all, Durant appeared in 129 regular season games with the Nets, averaging 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. In 16 playoff games, he averaged 32.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists with 1.4 steals in 41.3 minutes per game.