In a fascinating exploration of NBA history's pivotal moments, ESPN analyst Zach Kram has outlined an alternate reality where a single sneaker placement could have reshaped the league. The scenario centers on Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, where Kevin Durant scored 48 points but saw his potential game-winning 23-foot turnaround jumper ruled a two-pointer because his foot touched the three-point line. Trailing by two with one second left, Durant tied the game, only for the Bucks to prevail in overtime and eventually win the NBA championship a month later. Kram, in his article titled 'NBA alternate reality: 17 ripple effects of KD's sneaker on the line,' dubs this hypothetical world the 'Nets Championship Universe' or NCU, positing that properly sized sneakers would have made the shot worth three points, clinching victory for Brooklyn and triggering a cascade of changes across the NBA.
According to Kram's analysis, the immediate impact would have propelled the Nets, already depleted by injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden, into the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks, who in reality upset the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in a seven-game series, posted a 41-31 record with a plus-2.2 net rating during the shortened 2020-21 season—metrics Kram describes as 'weak marks for a potential finalist.' Brooklyn, as heavy favorites, would advance to the NBA Finals to face the Phoenix Suns, led by Devin Booker and Chris Paul, who finished 51-21 and cruised through the West despite injuries to stars like Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, and Kawhi Leonard. The Nets held a 2-0 regular-season edge over a full-strength Suns squad, with each Brooklyn star missing just one game in those matchups. By the Finals, Harden and Irving would be healthier, leading to a six-game Nets victory and Brooklyn's first franchise title.
This triumph would profoundly alter the legacies of Durant and Harden. Kram notes that Durant's two prior championships with the Golden State Warriors have long sparked debates about his credit, given the team's juggernaut status. In the NCU, however, Durant 'drags a star-studded but injury-ravaged team to the promised land,' earning full plaudits and becoming only the sixth player with three Finals MVP awards, joining Kawhi Leonard, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James as multi-team winners. His shot against Milwaukee would join iconic playoff moments like Leonard's four-bouncer in 2019 and Michael Jordan's 1989 jumper over Craig Ehlo as one of basketball's most famous, even if not a true buzzer-beater with one second remaining.
For Harden, the title erases his 'stigma as a playoff choker,' as he guts out the run despite a hamstring injury. Coach Steve Nash, who in reality parted ways with the Nets after 93 more games, finds vindication with the championship that eluded him as a player. The Nets' core—Durant, Harden, and Irving—plays just two more real-life games together before disbanding by February 9, 2023, but in the NCU, their success fosters unity.
The ripple effects extend to international basketball. The 2020-21 playoffs, stretched to mid-July due to COVID-19 scheduling, clashed with the delayed Tokyo Olympics. In reality, Durant committed to Team USA post-elimination, leading with 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, and earning MVP with 29 points in the gold-medal win over France (87-82). But in the NCU, exhausted from the Finals, Durant declines the invitation, unlike Booker, who still joins. Without Durant's heroics—especially after France's group-stage upset—Team USA falters, and France claims its first gold, with Rudy Gobert, the lone Frenchman on the real all-tournament team, taking MVP honors. Gobert, benched at the 2024 Paris Games in reality, becomes a French national hero in this universe.
Back in the NBA, Harden's contentment prevents his real-life trade request to Philadelphia amid the 2021-22 season's turmoil, including Irving's vaccine-related absences. The Nets, at 29-22 and sixth in the East when Harden last played in reality, remain competitive without a full-time Irving. This averts the humorous 2022 All-Star draft moment where Durant snubbed Harden, prompting LeBron James to quip, 'He got traded, he's healthy now!' as the 'Inside the NBA' crew laughed.
Harden's retention disrupts Philadelphia's plans. In reality, 76ers president Daryl Morey traded Ben Simmons for Harden. Here, Morey pivots to Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento, forming a backcourt with Tyrese Maxey. Simmons heads to the Kings, widening the NCU's scope beyond Brooklyn.
Milwaukee, stung by the 2021 loss to an injured Nets squad—after blowing a 2-0 conference finals lead in 2019 and a second-round exit as the top seed in 2020—grows desperate. With Brook Lopez limited to 13 games in 2021-22 due to back surgery, the Bucks need a center. Indiana, unable to trade Domantas Sabonis without Haliburton available, deals Myles Turner instead. The stretch big joins Milwaukee at the 2022 deadline, three years earlier than in reality. Yet, with Khris Middleton's playoff knee sprain, it's insufficient against the Boston Celtics, who beat Brooklyn (not in a sweep) before losing to Golden State in the Finals—a result unchanged in the NCU.
Frustrated, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, then 27, demands a trade in July 2022. Milwaukee, having traded picks for Jrue Holiday and Turner, has no assets left. In a blockbuster summer—still featuring Minnesota's Rudy Gobert acquisition and Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell deal—Antetokounmpo lands with the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and picks. The Knicks, who in reality used similar assets for OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, now boast their brightest star in decades. Antetokounmpo, with documented interest in New York, pairs with new Knick Jalen Brunson for the 2022-23 season on the sport's biggest stage.
By the 2022-23 deadline, Irving seeks an exit after a suspension and extension snub, mirroring reality. The Lakers, who pursued him with two first-round picks and Russell Westbrook's contract but balked at demands for Austin Reaves and Max Christie, now meet Brooklyn halfway by including Christie. Irving joins LeBron James in Los Angeles instead of Luka Doncic in Dallas, boosting his value as a two-time champion.
Westbrook, jettisoned from the Lakers, reunites with Durant and Harden in Brooklyn—11 years after Harden's Oklahoma City departure. With Harden aboard, Durant stays put through the season, avoiding his real-life trade request.
The 2023 postseason reshapes the East. Without Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee drops, letting Boston take the No. 1 seed and Philadelphia No. 2. The Nets' new Big Three (Durant, Harden, Westbrook) grab No. 3, and Antetokounmpo's Knicks No. 4. Philadelphia upsets Brooklyn in the second round, with Haliburton's clutch play—evident in his real postseasons—propelling the 76ers to their first conference finals since 2001. In reality, Boston edged Philadelphia after Harden's 22 points and 10 turnovers over Games 6 and 7 on 7-for-27 shooting.
On the other side, the Knicks dispatch their first-round foe and upset the 'rickety' Celtics—who in reality struggled against the 41-41 Hawks and 76ers before falling to the eighth-seeded Heat—to reach their first conference finals since 2000. This sets up a dream matchup: New York vs. Philadelphia, two franchises hungry for Finals glory. Kram's analysis cuts off here, but the implications suggest a Knicks-76ers series blending historic rivalries with modern stars like Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
In the Western Conference, Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets prevail over the Knicks in the 2023 Finals, per Kram. Broader NCU changes include altered team trajectories: the Suns without their Olympic stars, the Pacers resolving their center logjam differently, and superteams forming in unexpected places like Los Angeles and New York. As the NBA enters its 2025-26 season in reality, Kram's thought experiment highlights how fragile basketball's timeline can be, with one sneaker size potentially crowning new champions and heroes. League officials and fans alike continue to debate these what-ifs, underscoring Durant's enduring influence at age 37, now sixth on the scoring list after passing Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki this season, just 158 points from Michael Jordan's fifth place.