In a stunning twist of fate, Kevin Durant has suffered an Achilles injury that changes the entire landscape of the NBA.
It’s never something that you want to see happen to any player. Injuries come with the territory for athletes, but it doesn’t make it any easier to watch. The Golden State Warriors had to watch Kevin Durant leave a game with a serious injury for the second time in these playoffs.
KD pulls up lame and grabs his calf. Not good pic.twitter.com/9m3V8graUQ
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) June 11, 2019
Non-contact injuries are always scary and this was the second time during these playoffs where Durant suffered an injury like this. However, while his injury against the Houston Rockets was a calf injury, he wasn’t so lucky this time around.
Durant left the game in a walking boot and Warriors general manager Bob Myers addressed the media postgame. It’s rare to see a GM give a postgame press conference so it was clear that something was up with Durant.
#Warriors GM Bob Meyers is visibly emotional as he announces that Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury tonight pic.twitter.com/UOX5rMdBBp
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 11, 2019
“Kevin had an—it’s an Achilles injury,” Myers said through tears. “I don’t know the extent of it. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow.”
Absolutely brutal to watch a player of Durant’s caliber succumb to an Achilles injury on the biggest of stages. He has received endless hate for going to the Warriors. Media and fans alike wondered aloud if Durant was too soft for letting the calf injury keep him out of the first four games of the series.
Not to mention, Durant was set to be the hottest free agent on the market this summer. The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets have both been clearing cap space, presumably, with the thought of pursuing Durant in mind. Depending on what comes back on the MRI, the calculus for the offseason changes dramatically.
