Kevin Durant on Not Wanting Nets Tribute Video: 'I Didn't Leave a Lasting Impact'

While teams often pay homage to former players in their returns, Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant doesn't believe he deserves a tribute video from the Brooklyn Nets.

"I don't feel like I deserve one," Durant said, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. "I didn't feel like I stayed there long enough. I didn't put in enough work. I didn't leave a lasting impact."

The 35-year-old previously responded to Nets fans on Sunday in a social media debate regarding a potential tribute video, saying that the "night will be better without it."

Durant appeared in 129 regular-season games for the Nets from the 2020-21 season until he was traded in the middle of his 2022-23 campaign. He missed his first full year with the team due to an Achilles injury and was plagued by leg issues throughout the following seasons.

Although Brooklyn made the playoffs on two separate occasions while being led by Durant and Kyrie Irving, the team didn't achieve the same level of success that the former MVP experienced at his previous stops.

After Durant made the finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder and won two championships as a member of the Golden State Warriors, the Nets never made a conference finals appearance. The closest they got was in 2021, when Brooklyn fell in Game 7 to the Milwaukee Bucks after Durant nearly hit a series-winning three. Instead, the shot was ruled a two-pointer and the team lost in overtime.

After a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics the following year, Durant requested a trade and was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in Feb. 2023. With his legacy in Brooklyn much less memorable compared to his time spent with the Thunder and Warriors, the 14-time All-Star wasn't considering the possibility of a tribute video until he saw the social media discussion.

"I'm not expecting people to praise me or honor me," Durant said, per Rankin. "I didn't even pose the question. Somebody else brought it up randomly out of nowhere. I just gave them my input on that."

After a slow start in Phoenix, the two-time champion has rounded into form while the Suns have won seven of their past nine games. Durant is averaging 28.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 45.4 percent from three.