At one point in time, the Brooklyn Nets had one of the best teams in the NBA when they were led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. One of the unsung players during that time, center Jarrett Allen, was one of the reasons that Brooklyn was considered a championship contender with his ability to man the middle and he gave credit to Durant and Irving for his development.
“I’ve always felt like I was very lucky to be drafted by Brooklyn. I was 19 when I got there, and then, in what seemed like a flash, I was playing with KD and Kyrie,” Allen wrote in his piece for The Players’ Tribune. To be clear, Allen didn’t play with Durant and Irving for that long as he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers early in the 2020-21 season, the year after they came to Brooklyn. However, Allen remembers what he learned from the duo.
“When KD and Kyrie got there (Brooklyn), everything was even more magnified,” Allen continued. “It’s just a different level of basketball when you’re learning how to play with guys of that caliber. They taught me a lot about the level of work you need to put in if you’re looking to become truly exceptional at your craft. They were relentless in their desire to always be improving. I’m forever grateful I got to witness that.”
Allen, who is now trying to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, had been one of the players that the Nets hit on in the Draft while Sean Marks has been the general manager. Allen, the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, went from averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a rookie to 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest during the 2019-20 season, Durant and Irving’s first year with the Nets.
Allen played just 12 games for Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season before the Nets traded him to the Cavaliers in exchange for getting James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Despite the fact that Allen has been part of a Cleveland team on the rise since his arrival, he still looks fondly on his days in Brooklyn, especially when he was able to learn from Durant and Irving.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Former Net Jarrett Allen talks playing with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
At one point in time, the Brooklyn Nets had one of the best teams in the NBA when they were led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. One of the unsung players during that time, center Jarrett Allen, was one of the reasons that Brooklyn was considered a championship contender with his ability to man the middle and he gave credit to Durant and Irving for his development.
“I’ve always felt like I was very lucky to be drafted by Brooklyn. I was 19 when I got there, and then, in what seemed like a flash, I was playing with KD and Kyrie,” Allen wrote in his piece for The Players’ Tribune. To be clear, Allen didn’t play with Durant and Irving for that long as he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers early in the 2020-21 season, the year after they came to Brooklyn. However, Allen remembers what he learned from the duo.
“When KD and Kyrie got there (Brooklyn), everything was even more magnified,” Allen continued. “It’s just a different level of basketball when you’re learning how to play with guys of that caliber. They taught me a lot about the level of work you need to put in if you’re looking to become truly exceptional at your craft. They were relentless in their desire to always be improving. I’m forever grateful I got to witness that.”
Allen, who is now trying to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, had been one of the players that the Nets hit on in the Draft while Sean Marks has been the general manager. Allen, the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, went from averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a rookie to 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest during the 2019-20 season, Durant and Irving’s first year with the Nets.
Allen played just 12 games for Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season before the Nets traded him to the Cavaliers in exchange for getting James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Despite the fact that Allen has been part of a Cleveland team on the rise since his arrival, he still looks fondly on his days in Brooklyn, especially when he was able to learn from Durant and Irving.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Former Net Jarrett Allen talks playing with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
