Kevin Durant owns the Knicks, and he enjoys it.
The former MVP hasn’t lost to the Knicks in nine years, a stretch spanning three teams that continued with Wednesday’s 110-98 Nets’ victory at MSG.
Told of his impressive streak, Durant, a dedicated social media user, pumped both fists.
“I got something to talk about on Twitter now,” he said after dropping 32 points in 42 minutes.
Durant, of course, became the enemy of Knicks fans after spurning the team in 2019 free agency to join the crosstown rival. He has since read angry tweets about the decision, which has turned into a source of entertainment.
“We know how much Knicks fans don’t like us,” Durant said. “Especially now this era, with us not choosing the Knicks, me and Kyrie (Irving). It definitely adds something to the rivalry no matter who is on the team. You know, I think it will always be like that in the city. It’s good to be a part of this. It’s a fun rivalry. Hopefully it continues to build.
“If we get more and more animosity between the fan bases, it’s only good for the game.”
The Knicks dedicated two years to their pursuit of Durant, even trading former franchise face Kristaps Porzingis to clear enough cap space. When it became clear Durant was heading to Brooklyn instead, a report surfaced that owner James Dolan was hesitant to offer the max because of the former MVP’s torn Achilles.
Durant was asked about that for the first time Wednesday.
“I don’t know how true that is. You heard rumors. Sources. I don’t know where those come from,” he said. “So I take that with a grain of salt. I didn’t believe it.”
Since the decision, Durant is 7-0 against the Knicks. The Nets haven’t lost to their rival since before pandemic.
“I mean imagine the tweets I’ve been getting since I decided to come to the Nets,” Durant said. “Knicks fans are still pissed off. Little jabs here and there. Like I said, there’s always love in the streets when I see the Knicks fans. Always love at the games. It’s a good rivalry to be a part of.”
Irving, who scored 24 points Wednesday in his first game at MSG since signing with the Nets, said he’s purposefully vague when discussing his decision to choose the Nets over the Knicks — “I throw darts in the air and just wait for people to assume whatever they want,” he said — but acknowledged Dolan’s team had a shot.
“They had a good chance of getting us back in free agency, but we just felt like we wanted to build here and just make our mark on this franchise,” Irving said. “I don’t think we regret our decision. And we just want to live with really leaning on each other and making sure this is successful for us.”
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