Nets' Kevin Durant Says He'll 'Always Give Knicks Fans S--t' About Rooting for NYK

Following Wednesday's 112-85 win over the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant discussed his dynamic with Knicks fans.

When asked about an interaction he had prior to the game with some young Knicks fans, Durant discussed the rivalry between the Nets and Knicks and why he feels compelled to have fun with it:

"As long as I've got a Nets jersey on, if I see a Knicks fan, I'm always gonna give them a thumbs down or just give them some s--t about being a Knicks fan," Durant said. "It only adds to the rivalry, and the fans feel more engaged when they see a player engaging in the rivalry as well, so it's all in fun."

KD had a triple-double in the Nets' dominant victory Wednesday, scoring a game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.

Durant led the way without fellow star Kyrie Irving, who continued to serve a suspension for promoting a movie that pushes antisemitic views on his social media.

Part of what makes the Nets vs. Knicks rivalry significant aside from geography is the fact that Durant and Irving were widely speculated as potential Knicks signings when they were free agents in 2019.

After they joined Brooklyn instead, it was expected the Nets would contend for and potentially even win multiple NBA championships with Durant and Irving as the headliners, but that hasn't been the case.

Brooklyn was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs during the duo's first season on the court together in 2020-21, and that was despite the fact that the Nets also acquired All-Star guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets.

There was a great deal of turmoil last season with Irving missing significant time due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, while Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers prior to the deadline for a package that included guard Ben Simmons, who didn't play all season because of injury.

The Nets still managed to make the playoffs, but they were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

As much as things haven't gone according to plan for Durant in Brooklyn, one constant is that he has owned the Knicks, posting a 5-0 record against them.

This season got off to a rocky start for the Nets, leading them to part ways with head coach Steve Nash, but they are 3-2 since Jacque Vaughn took over as head coach and removed his previous interim tag prior to Wednesday's game.

Vaughn's elevation, coupled with scoring a decisive win over the Knicks, could be precisely what the Nets need to turn their season around and be contenders in the Eastern Conference once again.