Hulk Hogan became the biggest heel in wrestling in 2996 when he turned his back on WCW and joined Kevin Nash & Scott Hall in the New World Order.
Kevin Durant followed a similar path in 2016 when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the 73-win (but ringless) Golden State Warriors. After two titles in three seasons with the Warriors, Durant left to link up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. They were joined by James Harden in 2021, giving the Nets the best trio (when healthy) in the NBA.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Durant was asked if he felt like he was leading the NBA's version of the NWO.
“I don’t,” he said. “It kind of looks that way, right? Our team wears all black and we kind of got three guys on the team that a lot of fans in the NBA don’t really like as much. It can seem that way, but I don’t think we take on that mentality. I think we come in and operate at a pretty smooth, easy, reserved level. We’re just very high-skilled guys, but I guess [from] the outside perception, it can seem that way. But for us, we just really enjoy to play every day.”
Durant mentioned that he was a fan of the group growing up and appreciated what they brought to the entertainment space.
Eric Bischoff commented by saying, “Kevin Durant would be welcomed with open arms, by not only myself, the architect of the NWO, but also Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. We would love to have Kevin Durant be a lifetime member of the NWO.”
Bischoff and Hogan famously brought in Dennis Rodman, fresh off an NBA Championship in 1997 and 1998, for back-to-back matches at Bash at the Beach.
While Durant may not consider the Nets as the NWO, The Young Bucks do consider The Elite as the Nets.
