NEW YORK, BALIPOST.com – Injured star Kevin Durant showed off his new jersey and Kyrie Irving was pictured working out Thursday as the Brooklyn Nets provided a glimpse of preparations for their upcoming NBA campaign.
With the start of their pre-season schedule barely two weeks away and a trip to China next month to face the Los Angeles Lakers looming, the Nets heightened anticipation for the 2019-20 season with Twitter postings.
Durant suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in last season’s NBA Finals and is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 campaign for the Nets after leaving the Golden State Warriors and signing with Brooklyn after the NBA Finals.
He was shown in a pair of photos displaying his new black and white number seven jersey for Brooklyn, a change from the 35 he wore in winning two titles with the Warriors.
Durant’s move to the Nets along with that of Irving from Boston launched a flurry of major player moves that dramatically changed the landscape of the NBA.
Six-time NBA All-Star guard Irving, who won an NBA title alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, departed for the Celtics in 2017 and spent two seasons in Boston until joining the Nets, where he is expected to carry the bulk of the load for a young club.
The 27-year-old backcourt star was born to US parents in Melbourne, Australia.
The Nets begin pre-season training camp next week before playing Brazilian club SESI/Franca on October 4 then going to China where they will meet James and the Los Angeles Lakers in pre-season contests on October 10 at Shanghai and October 12 at Shenzhen. (AFP)
