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  • after 552 days off of not seeing Kevin Durant.

  • It was incredible to see him back on the court, just getting to where he wanted to go on the court, Uh, really showing you.

  • He still has his athletic ability, but he doesn't need to be the fastest or strongest guy on the court because of the gracefulness that comes along with his skill set.

  • He is one of the most skilful players I think the game has ever seen, and I think that we're going to be reminded pretty quickly about how talented, maybe one of the most gifted scores the game has ever seen as well up there with the tears of Michael Jordan.

  • Company didn't miss a beat.

  • Toobin.

  • He didn't miss a beat looked like Kevin Durant that I last saw when he was healthy with Golden State.

  • That's what I That's what I took away from it.

  • Kyrie Irving had 18 points is well, so, fellas, let's just set the expectations eight days from now.

  • As I mentioned the first basket of the season, the N B.

  • A 75th season will either be scored by the Warriors or the Nets I guess it would be fitting if Durant scored that first two or three.

  • And then later that night Keys Lakers will take on the Clippers.

  • J Expectation Wise, I think we all expect the Lakers to be keys revved up, ready to go.

  • The overwhelming favorite in the West is you said they have distanced themselves from everybody this particular offseason.

  • Expectations for Brooklyn, though, are what I think to get to an NBA championship.

  • Barring an injury to Kevin Durant or barring injuries in general, the question you have about the Nets is defensively when it comes time to lock down who are the lock down defenders.

  • But when you look at the East, you have to have them favored.

  • Boston's a really good basketball team, will obviously see Jason Tatum and company continued to grow.

  • Milwaukee will be there.

  • Toronto is still really good basketball team, but at the end of the day, Miami will still be there, even though I think it's a little bit of an aberration with them getting today, eh?

  • NBA finals throughout the bubble, but they still will compete each and every game.

  • But make no doubt about it.

  • It is Brooklyn's to lose this year in the Eastern Conference.

  • Yeah, it is Brooklyn's and lose.

  • I think you know for me, Jay.

  • I don't wanna put them all the way in the championship just yet.

  • I think it would be a based on Kevin and Kyrie is coming off injuries if they got to the Eastern Conference finals and we just go from there because you know, all these things are man, whether it's Boston, we don't know this.

  • James Harden News is on the hour, right?

  • We may look up by the time we off the show.

  • He may be dealt to Philadelphia or he may be dealt to Milwaukee.

  • Who knows what happens in that situation?

  • So I would just sit back and enjoy the ride.

  • I think if Brooklyn could make it to the Eastern Conference finals and then just go from there, I think we should be able to appreciate that and enjoy it.

  • And fellas, we should also mention there's some reporting this morning from Ramona Shelburne and woke key to your point that eight days before the start of the N B a season the Rockets made those big moves got themselves John Wall.

  • But James Harden remains unfazed.

  • He wants to be dealt.

  • It could be Philly.

  • It could be Brooklyn.

  • Jay, what do you think happens here over the course of the next eight days As you got a couple of different franchises?

  • Certainly the Rockets and the team he goes to, It's gonna be foundational change when this happens.

  • I'd like to say if and when, but you fellas have told me when dudes don't wanna be there, they ain't gonna be there.

  • What do you think it's gonna happen?

  • It depends on what kind of assets can Rafael Stone and company get in return for James Harden?

  • And the reality is that they may not get everything.

  • They may be ableto they may want, but you're gonna come thio ahead eventually, where you have to sit there and wait to pros and cons and say, does it make sense for me to keep a player here who does not want to be here now?

  • I think James Harden is going to do his part.

  • I think once he gets through the six, uh, negative covert tests crazy, they have to go through six.

  • What?

  • Six.

  • Considering coming from Atlanta, going to Vegas hang out the way he did.

  • I think he will continue to do his part, but he's made it known.

  • He does not want to be in Houston.

  • And at the end of the day, I think Houston will do everything in his power to make sure they get the best return for value for James Harden when they let him go and and they, they have to do that.

  • Rafael Stone certainly has to do it.

  • There's no question about it, But I think whenever a player steps out and he makes it known to the world that he does not want to be there, that asset becomes devalued no matter what anyone says.

  • And, yes, James Harden is going to try and be a professional.

  • There's no question about it, because that's what he wants to do.

  • But it's hard as a coach and the first time hair coach.

  • Mind you to be able to coach a team when a guy's coming into building, not happy, not smiling every single day.

  • It could affect this young hair coach and his team.

  • And that's certainly not the way you want to start things.

  • No, certainly not.

  • You've got a brand new GM.

  • You got a brand new head coach.

  • You've got the NBA's longest active current playoff streak, believe it or not.

  • But all the guys that made that happen, like Daryl Morey and James Harden, apparently are about to be out the door.

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after 552 days off of not seeing Kevin Durant.

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