The Brooklyn Nets become the superteam for the 2020-2021 NBA season, aiming to win their first championship.
After the BKN’s unsuccessful attempt to win the championship, they recruited Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnet in 2013. Now, the team’s new additions are Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The process to form the superteam started in 2019 when Durant and Irving signed with the Nets. Durant’s deal will be worth $164 million over four years, and Irving will receive $141 million over four years.
“I felt like it was time for a change. I wanted to play for a new team,” Durant said at the team’s 2019 media day. “Simply put, I just did it. I didn’t think about what I was leaving behind or what we accomplished. I put that up on the shelf already. When it was time to decide on my future, I just thought solely about me.”
In January 2021, Harden arrived in a three-team trade, signing a four-year contract. And finally, in March, Aldridge and Griffin signed a one-year contract with the team.
“The Nets expressed interest, and the interest was mutual. I felt like they needed another big, another guy to facilitate, fill these gaps they have. Anytime you have these types of players, you need guys around them to relieve that pressure. Then for me, it’s about playing meaningful basketball, playing in the playoffs, and contending for a championship. Those were my main reasons.” Griffin said on March 10 for the SportsNet New York interview.
Three players that undoubtedly stand out are Joe Harris having the best three-point percentage this season, Harden winning three scoring titles in a row and leading in assists per game this season, and Irving, with the best handles of all time, according to ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson.
Combined, the team has a total of 41 All-Star appearances.
Many fans and sports commentators have reacted negatively to the Nets’ strategy, suggesting that it is unfair to have so many All-Star players on one team. They argue that if the Brooklyn Nets have most of the top players, where is the rest of competition?
“This is almost like buying the championship, for crying out loud,” Stephen A Smith, a sports journalist, said in his Twitter account on March, 27. “You want a championship, I get all of that, but what about competition? I’m looking forward to the playoffs, I want the competition.”
However, other fans have viewed this situation with a bit of humor, saying that this NBA season is like experiencing Space Jam 2 in real life, comparing the Nets with the movie monsters.
There is a wide variety of opinions regarding this NBA season. But in the end, the question remains the same: who will win the championship? The Nets superteam, or will there be a back-to-back championship for the Los Angeles Lakers?
