Kevin Durant explains why he requested trade from Nets in the summer

• Sports

Kevin Durant opened up in an interview with Bleacher Report as he revealed he demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets because he felt the team wasn't doing enough to put itself in the position to win. On June 30, Durant demanded a trade from the Nets.

Nearly two months later, Durant rescinded his trade request and returned to the Nets. "It wasn’t difficult at all to request a trade because it was about ball. I went to them and was like, ‘Yo, I don't like how we are preparing.

I don't like shootarounds. I like practices. I need more. I want to work on more s--t. Hold me accountable. Get on my ass in film if that's going to help you get on everybody else’s head. I want to do more closeouts. I want to work on more shell drills at practice," Durant told Bleacher Report.

Durant: I wanted to be respected

The Nets 2021/22 season was full of drama and chaos. Durant felt the Nets weren't getting much respect around the league and he openly admitted he wasn't really okay with that. "I had some complaints in the summer, and my complaints were not about just me; it was about how we are moving as a unit.

I want us to be respected out here in the basketball world. I don’t want players to look at us and say, ‘Oh man, these [expletive] are full of s--t. That’s not the type of team I want to be on.’ So when we’re all playing like s--t, you know the one person they’re going to look at.

That’s why I requested a trade," Durant added. Meanwhile, the Nets' 2022/23 season hasn't gotten off to a great start either. The Nets are 6-9 after their first 15 games as Kyrie Irving remains suspended. Recently, the Nets fired head coach Steve Nash. If nothing changes, Durant and company will have another disappointing season.