The greatest player ever to pull on a Nets jersey made his Brooklyn debut Tuesday night, and the excitement was … not palpable.
The arena did not roar, rumble or crackle with energy. The roof was not raised. It stayed right where it was.
This was not Kevin Durant’s fault, of course. He did everything a superstar is supposed to do to—swishing a straightaway 3 on his first shot, nailing an array of slinky jumpers, flying for a right-handed jam on the break, and leading the Nets to a breezy 125–99 rout of the Golden State Warriors.