Kevin Durant Admits He's 'Getting Old' But Still Confident About Future With Nets

The Brooklyn Nets may not win the championship this season, but Kevin Durant knows it’s not the end of the road.

After having a hot start, the Nets have dropped down to the eighth seed in the East. It’s already a difficult season as Kyrie Irving is only playing part-time, but things got worse when James Harden left for the Philadelphia 76ers just before the trade deadline. Despite the setbacks, Durant remains unfazed.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Durant shared his thoughts on what lies ahead for the Nets this season.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP said he’s not surprised that some people doubt Brooklyn given the current situation of the team. What matters more for Durant is the bigger picture, and he stressed that he’s still capable of competing and that he’s with the right organization.

"If you're looking at it as if, like, this is our only chance to ever do something special with this group -- and other people looking at it that way -- then I can see why," the 33-year-old said. "But to be honest, I signed here for five years to play. Obviously, this year's important, but no matter what happens this year, I still want to do it again. And again."

"I want to continue to play, have this group together as long as we can," he continued. "So short term, we can focus on that for sure, but we [are] also looking at the big picture of things too."

Durant added, "I know I'm getting old, but I feel like I'm mentally and physically in a solid space to contribute to an organization that's ready to grow and reach new heights. It's always going to be rocky at first initially when you start trying to start something new. So I'm excited about what the future holds, but I also want as much as we can get in the moment as well."

As it stands, Irving is still a part-time player, having made it clear that he’s not getting vaccinated. On the other hand, the Nets are ecstatic about the arrival of All-Star guard Ben Simmons.

However, it is still unclear when Simmons, who has been dealing with a back injury since he was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers, can make his long-awaited Brooklyn debut. With just 11 games left to play in the regular season, Nets head coach Steve Nash remains optimistic that Simmons will soon be able to join the team.

"I think he had months of five, six days a week on court and was doing very well, so just unfortunate, but we stay the course," Nash recently told ESPN. "And hopefully a good resolution to this in the near future."