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Brooklyn Nets

BROOKLYN – The NBA announced today that Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 6. The honor is Durant’s fourth as a Net and the 30th Player of the Week award of his career.

Durant led Brooklyn to a 3-1 week, recording averages of 30.8 points (first among Eastern Conference players), 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 blocks in 36.9 minutes per contest, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent (32-of-32) from the free-throw line. He was the only player in the East to average at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists for the week in multiple games played and ranked second in the East in free throws made and tied for third in free throws attempted. Durant scored 25 or more points in all four games, extending his streak of 25-point games to open the season to 10, which represents the longest streak for a player to open a season since Allen Iverson with the 2005-06 Philadelphia 76ers. Durant also extended his consecutive free throws made streak to 57, which marks the longest streak in his career and the longest streak for a Net since at least the 1997-98 season. Durant began the week by registering 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes in a 116-109 home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 31. He followed up that performance by totaling 32 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 38 minutes in a 108-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center. On the road against the Washington Wizards on Friday night, Durant contributed 28 points, nine rebounds and a season-high 11 assists in 33 minutes in a 128-86 win, matching the largest margin of victory in a road game in franchise history. Durant wrapped up the week by tallying 27 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 37 minutes in a 98-94 road win against the Charlotte Hornets.

Durant is one of 27 players in franchise history to earn Player of the Week honors and one of three players to win the award four or more times as a Net, joining Jason Kidd (nine) and Vince Carter (four). Durant’s 30 Player of the Week honors are the third-most among all players since the award was introduced in the 1979-80 season, trailing only LeBron James (65) and Kobe Bryant (33).

Durant has appeared in all 10 of Brooklyn’s games this season, registering averages of 31.5 points (third in the league), 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 blocks (eighth in the league) in 37.3 minutes per game (sixth in the league). He’s shot 52.0 percent from the field and 94.6 percent from the free-throw line (fifth in the league), while ranking second in the league in free throws made per game (8.8) and third in free throws attempted per game (9.3).

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Kevin Durant Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

BROOKLYN –&nbsp;“Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate. We believed that taking the path of education in this challenging situation would be the right one and thought that we had made progress with our joint commitment to eradicating hate and intolerance.We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity - but failed - to clarify.&nbsp;Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets. We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games.”

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Statement From the Brooklyn Nets

BROOKLYN –&nbsp;The events of the past week have sparked many emotions within the Nets organization, our Brooklyn community, and the nation. The public discourse that followed has brought greater awareness to the challenges we face as a society when it comes to combating hate and hate speech. We are ready to take on this challenge and we recognize that this is a unique moment to make a lasting impact.To promote education within our community, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will each donate $500,000 toward causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities. The Nets and Kyrie Irving will work with ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), a nonprofit organization devoted to fighting antisemitism and all types of hate that undermine justice and fair treatment for every individual. This is an effort to develop educational programming that is inclusive and will comprehensively combat all forms of antisemitism and bigotry.“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day,” said Kyrie Irving. “I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”“There is no room for antisemitism, racism, false narratives or misguided attempts to create animosity and hate,” said Sam Zussman, Chief Executive Officer of BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. “Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to ensure education in these areas. We are putting our prior statements into practice because actions speak louder than words.”As in past years, the Brooklyn Nets will continue to support and participate in Shine A Light, an ongoing initiative dedicated to spotlighting modern day antisemitism.Additionally, to ensure a sustainable and meaningful impact in driving awareness and education on the important topics of hatred based on race, ethnicity, and religion, the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty and the teams’ affiliated organizations will host a series of community conversations at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, in partnership with ADL and other national civil rights organizations as well as local community associations.

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Joint Statement From Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Anti-defamation League

BROOKLYN –&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets and Head Coach Steve Nash have agreed to part ways. A decision regarding the team’s next head coach will be made in the near future.

“We want to thank Steve for everything he brought to our franchise over the past two-plus seasons,” said General Manager Sean Marks. “Since becoming head coach, Steve was faced with a number of unprecedented challenges, and we are sincerely grateful for his leadership, patience and humility throughout his tenure. Personally, this was an immensely difficult decision; however, after much deliberation and evaluation of how the season has begun, we agreed that a change is necessary at this time. We wish Steve, Lilla and their family all the best in the future.”

Brooklyn Nets Governor Joe Tsai said, “I’ve gotten to know Steve during his time in Brooklyn, and he is not one to shy away from challenges. My admiration and respect for him grew over time as he brought hard work and positive attitude to our organization every day, even in periods of exceptional storm surrounding the team. Clara and I want to thank Steve, Lilla and their family for making this extraordinary commitment. We began this journey as colleagues, we part as friends.”

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Brooklyn Nets and Head Coach Steve Nash Agree to Part Ways

BROOKLYN&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets will host their annual Practice in the Park on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2. Fans are invited to watch the Nets take the court as they prepare for the upcoming season with one of New York City’s most iconic views as the backdrop.&nbsp;This is the sixth time the Nets have held their open practice at Brooklyn Bridge Park.The free, open-to-the-public event begins at&nbsp;noon&nbsp;and will feature elevated entertainment throughout the afternoon to tip off the team’s celebration of 10 Years in Brooklyn.&nbsp;This year’s Practice in the Park will include musical performances&nbsp;by Joey Bada$$ and Flipp Dinero&nbsp;and prior to the team’s practice, the Nets will host the first&nbsp;annual Brooklyn Park Classic&nbsp;presented by SeatGeek&nbsp;– a 5v5 game featuring notable celebrities and influencers - with teams coached by Nets legend Kerry Kittles and New York Liberty player DiDi Richards.After the team’s practice is complete, Brooklyn Nets players will recognize deserving children from the community on-court, and personally give them their jersey to keep. The children have been identified through the Nets’ community partner organizations.Practice in the Park will also include performances by the Brooklynettes Dance Team, Team Hype and The Brooklyn Nets Beats Drumline, merch giveaways, food trucks and more. Additionally, there will be a barber shop on-site as well as interactive photo opportunities, including a station where fans can pose in a Nets press conference setup and enter to win a year’s supply of BioSteel. Prior to the team taking the court, community programming will feature youth from the Nets Academy and a girls basketball showcase featuring some of the best middle school hoopers in the city.Fans can attend Practice in the Park by claiming complimentary tickets when they are released to the public&nbsp;today. For more information and to be alerted when tickets are released, fans can follow the Brooklyn Nets on social media at @brooklynnets on all channels or sign up for the Brooklyn Nets mailing list at brooklynnets.com.

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Brooklyn Nets to Host Annual Practice in the Park on Sunday, Oct. 9

BROOKLYN  –&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets have completed their training camp roster of 20 players by signing forward RaiQuan Gray. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. Nets Training Camp, presented by Sun Chlorella, will take place at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn from Tuesday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 2.Gray (6’7”, 260) was drafted by Brooklyn with the 59th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and spent the 2021-22 season with Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. In 26 regular season games (four starts) with Long Island, Gray averaged 6.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 22.4 minutes per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line. He also appeared in 14 games for Long Island during the NBA G League Showcase Cup, recording averages of 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest, and has been on Brooklyn’s NBA Las Vegas Summer League teams the past two years.The 23-year-old previously spent three collegiate seasons (2018-21) at Florida State University, appearing in 90 games (52 starts) and averaging 6.9 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 73.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 18.7 minutes per game. In his final season as a junior, Gray averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.3 minutes per contest en route to Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors as well as being named to the All-ACC Third Team. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native was a part of two runs to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2019, 2021) with the Seminoles and helped lead the team to its first ever regular season ACC Championship in 2020.The full training camp roster is as follows:

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Brooklyn Nets Complete Training Camp Roster

BROOKLYN –&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Chris Chiozza. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Chiozza (5’11”, 179) has seen action in 91 career NBA games (four starts) across four seasons with Golden State (2021-22), Brooklyn (2020, 2020-21), Washington (2019) and Houston (2019), averaging 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. The Memphis, Tenn., native returns to the Nets after spending the 2021-22 season with the Warriors, appearing in 34 games (one start) with the 2022 NBA champions and averaging 2.0 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 10.9 minutes per contest. In 40 games (three starts) over his two seasons in Brooklyn, Chiozza posted averages of 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 12.8 minutes per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from 3-point range and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. He also appeared in and started 10 games with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, during the 2019-20 season and has appeared in 70 career NBA G League games (68 starts) across three seasons with Santa Cruz, Long Island, Capital City and Rio Grande Valley, registering averages of 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 33.1 minutes per contest.

The 26-year-old went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft after spending four years (2014-18) at the University of Florida. Following his senior season, the Gators’ all-time assists leader (571) was named to the All-SEC First Team.

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Brooklyn Nets Sign Chris Chiozza

BROOKLYN –&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed guard David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Duke Jr. originally signed with Brooklyn on Aug. 8, 2021, and had his deal converted to a two-way contract on Oct. 16, 2021. In 22 games (seven starts) for Brooklyn during the 2021-22 season, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game. The 22-year-old also appeared in and started 13 regular season games for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, during the 2021-22 campaign, recording averages of 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest. Duke Jr. most recently competed for Brooklyn’s summer league team in Las Vegas, registering averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.6 minutes per game across five games.

Prior to joining the Nets, the Providence, R.I., native went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft after a three-year collegiate career (2018-21) at Providence College. Starting all 91 career games, he averaged 11.5 points on 39.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.7 percent shooting from distance, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. In his final season as a junior in 2020-21, Duke Jr. averaged career highs with 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 37.1 minutes per game on his way to being named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention selection. Duke Jr. also represented the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru, where he helped lead Team USA to a bronze medal.