Moving back to the summer of 2019, the basketball world shifted on its axis. When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose the Brooklyn Nets just a bit before James Harden did the same, a dynasty of kings began.
But looking back at this era from the 2026 perspective, the story does not tell any tale about championship rings. On the contrary, it shows a radical experiment in player power that pushed the boundaries of professional sports.
More than just star power
In the NBA, as in other professional leagues, the so-called “star treatment” is expected and even embraced. However, according to journalist Matt Sullivan, the perks in Brooklyn were on an entirely different scale. On paper, Durant, Irving, and Harden were unbeatable. In reality, the pull of star privilege created a sense of exemption that weighed as heavily as the injuries that eventually derailed them.
As Sullivan revealed on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the Nets did not just accommodate their stars, they essentially bankrolled their lives.
The “blank check” reality
An inside source told Sullivan that the moment these three stars arrived, the team’s checkbook was wide open. The list of alleged perks reads more like a Hollywood rider than a professional sports contract.
As per his reports, the stars had houses in California rented for them for weeks at a time, entirely funded by the team. They also put up money for “the boys,” covering equipment and random stuff for the stars’ inner circles.
Sullivan noted that the team was totally cool with covering personal expenses that athletes of their stature would normally handle themselves. He noted:
“These guys don’t pay for a lot of personal stuff themselves. Whether that’s buying a girlfriend, or a girlfriend on the side… they’re totally cool with that
The 2020-2022 Nets will go down in history as a cautionary tale. They proved that even with three future Hall of Famers, you cannot simply unite stars and expect wins if the culture is built on a foundation of total exemption.
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