Kevin Durant's Father Wayne Pratt on Him Joining The Nets: Are You Doing This Just For Kyrie?

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shocked the NBA in 2019 NBA Free Agency when they signed with the Brooklyn Nets. With two years together in Brooklyn, KD and Kyrie didn't reach the NBA Finals as the Nets dealt multiple injuries on their star players with Durant sitting out his first year with the team due to a torn right achilles injury.

Matt Sullivan writes in his book, «Can't Knock The Hustle: Inside The Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with The Brooklyn Nets' Superstars of Tomorrow" that Kevin Durant's father, Wayne Pratt, wanted KD to join the New York Knicks.

Here's the story:

«KD texted his dad: What you think about Brooklyn?» Sullivan wrote in his new book. «Like his agent, KD's occasionally estranged father, Wayne Pratt, was a Knicks fan. When Wayne told his son that he'd taken a video-conference call from the Knicks executives Steve Mills and Scott Perry, and that the Knicks were trying to turn away KD's interest from Brooklyn before free agency had officially begun, the father-son text chain blew up with expletives. KD didn't think it was on anyone to mess with his personal freedom.


«Plus, this Knicks meeting seemed to be a violation of the NBA's rules against tampering, to «entice, induce or persuade» one player under contract to sign somewhere.»

After a frustrated Durant confronted his father, it led to a heated exchange.

«Let me explain one f****** thing to you, his dad responded,» Sullivan wrote. «Don't you ever question my integrity. There's nobody more important in this world when it comes to you THAN YOU.}

Well, why can't I do something different?

The Knicks is Mecca, KD's dad declared. If you want to do it, do it big! If you want to be a New Yorker, be a Knick!»

«New York City was the Mecca of basketball, and KD wanted to live there. But he felt like Brooklyn was his vibe: «chill, on the low, all-black everything.» He'd been eyeing the Nets for years now, and they him,» Sullivan added. «Dad shot back: Are you doing this just for Kyrie cuz he your buddy?

No, KD replied. He was making this decision for himself.»