On October 28, 2018 Kevin Durant came to Brooklyn - as the proud star of the Golden State Warriors champion.
In the game against the young and energetic host, at such an early stage of the season, it was the kind of game that Israeli football commentators would call a "mine".
And really, the promising and ambitious bunch of esteemed coach Kenny Atkinson, gave Pete a beauty on the way to a 120: 114 loss.
Durant, for his part, with 34 points on a good percentage, was the main culprit for not having a surprise that evening.
This part came later, after the season ended, with both sides tying their fate to each other due to each other.
While that Nets continued to play fun basketball all year, she finished the season with a positive 40:42 balance, and when she was eliminated in the first round 4: 1 by Philadelphia one could finally look to the future of the team and see positive things.
But in Brooklyn they wanted more.
Wanted a super team of their own.
Durant, for his part, is fed up with Super Tim getting her into her lap.
He wanted something too.
More?
It is not clear exactly what, and it is not exactly clear what else.
But wanted, say, something else.
Brooklyn - even though it finally managed to build a fun team after bad years following a shocking trade with Boston - jumped at the chance to dismantle what it had built, and quickly build a super-duo of its own.
She brought in Durant from Golden State and Kyrie Irving from Boston (yes, they are again).
And what did that give them?
In the first season of the project injuries limited Kyrie to 20 games, and Durant did not play at all, Atkinson was fired towards the end of the season, they finished with a negative 37:35 balance and were eliminated in the first round in a sweep.
Score?
Failed, but incomplete due to absences.
Kyrie Irving, Photo: USA today Sports
In the second season?
Accelerated the dismantling process to add James Harden, an excellent 24:48 balance, finally got through a round, and was eliminated in the second round when Kyrie was injured, and then Harden also plays injured.
Score?
Still far from being "outstanding."
And here comes the current season, the third.
Durant appears in two-thirds of games, due to injury.
Harden gives up the team and is traded, and Kyrie?
Played only 29 games this season, because he is unwilling to get vaccinated against Corona.
A 38:44 balance is enough just for 7th place in the East.
In the playoffs?
Boston again.
Wash again.
Sweep again.
Only this time both Kyrie and Durant are playing.
They just are not good enough.
Neither is the staff around them.
Neither is the coach.
Certainly not in front of the Celtics' organic, cohesive, trained, balanced, and determined team.
So what did we have?
A young and promising team at reasonable costs, which managed to make a first round while climbing up - dismantled in favor of a grandiose project with superstars, who has since achieved first round, second round, and again first round.
Is that enough time already to give a score?
And to say that the story failed?
If you answered "yes" to this question, it's because you too want to vomit from groups, "projects", like the Hunts.
A collection of spoiled stars who are not obligated to speak apart from themselves (we have not yet talked about Ben Simmons), who are not even able to provide half a receipt (even a lone East final in 3 years is, it turns out, too much to ask).
If you said no, and you still think this project has hope, it's probably because you remember Durant, Kyrie, Simmons, and even Joe Harris and Seth Kerry signing for next year.
And so you can imagine that maybe in an entire season where everyone plays in almost every game, we'll still see these Nets swing the Larry O'Brien Cup.
And that's what you need to ask yourself - we live in a crappy enough world, why would the Nets champion be something you'll want to imagine?
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
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