Kevin Durant initially identified the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets, rather than the Golden State Warriors, as the best team he played for "on paper." He cited the roster's collection of names, including Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, and Patty Mills.
"We had the names on that team," Durant said in an interview with Boardroom.
However, the article notes that the Nets primarily acquired veterans after their prime playing days. The core of that Brooklyn team rested on Durant, Irving, and Harden, a trio that played only 16 regular-season games together and never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.
In contrast, the Warriors had already achieved significant success before Durant's arrival, winning a championship and a record 73 games in the 2015-16 season. With Durant, the Warriors reached three consecutive NBA Finals, winning two championships and securing two Finals MVP awards for him.
Durant's initial selection of the Nets has been interpreted as a defense of an experiment he helped construct, aligning with his vision of a championship contender. This contrasts with the Warriors, who were already an established championship team and Stephen Curry's franchise.
Durant later revised his answer after recalling that DeMarcus Cousins was part of the 2018-19 Warriors team. "With Cousins at the five, that's probably the best team that I've been a part of," he conceded, ranking Brooklyn second.
The commentary suggests that Durant's initial statement revealed a desire to defend the legacy of the team he assembled in Brooklyn, rather than acknowledging the dominant Warriors team he joined.