David Letterman Crashed Nets Media Day To Ask Kevin Durant Why He Goes By KD

The Brooklyn Nets held media day on Monday morning as they get set to start training camp, and while much of the conversation was expected to be about Kyrie Irving and his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which would prohibit him from playing in home games or practicing in Brooklyn due to New York City’s vaccine mandate.

Irving was not physically at media due to health and safety protocols, but was set to address the media later in the day over Zoom, which put Kevin Durant up to the podium first. The first questions to Durant weren’t about Kyrie or the Nets’ championship aspirations or really much in the way of basketball at all. No, the first person to snag the mic at media day was none other than David Letterman, who asked why he goes by KD, then asked him for the exact field goal percentage he’ll shoot this season, and if playing the Pelicans makes them giggle.

Why Letterman was there is anyone’s guess — the real cynical theory is it’s something to get people talking about literally anything other than Kyrie’s vaccination status — and Durant didn’t seem particularly into the whole bit but played along, making for a strange first 90 seconds of media day.

Eventually, the actual questions started and Durant insisted he and the team weren’t worried about Kyrie, saying they have complete “trust” in him and that they expect to have the entire team together at some point. James Harden followed that up by deferring to Kyrie and telling reporters they can ask the man himself later, but saying he’s a very important part of the team.