Kevin Durant Reveals the Extent of His Injury, Posts Emotional Message from Hospital
Warriors superstar Kevin Durant had surgery Wednesday to repair the ruptured Achilles tendon that he sustained in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, leaving just one question in the minds of Golden State fans as the team tries to erase a 3-1 deficit against the Toronto Raptors: “So does this mean he won’t play in Game 6?”
Durant posted a picture of himself in his hospital bed to Instagram following the surgery.
“What’s good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY,” he wrote.
“My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way,” Durant added. “Like I said Monday, I’m hurting deeply, but I’m OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat.”
“Its just the way things go in this game and I’m proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I’m proud my brothers got the W. It’s going to be a journey but I’m built for this. I’m a hooper. I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering with dub nation while they do it.”
Some have questioned the wisdom of rushing Durant back from an injury sustained to his calf on May 8, but with the Warriors down 3-1 and facing elimination on the road Monday night, Durant and the Warriors decided it was worth the risk.
Durant played 12 minutes, scored 11 points and provided enough of a spark that the Warriors were able to hang on and win the game in the end by the slimmest of margins, 106-105.
But it came at a cost. The Warriors lost Durant for the rest of the playoffs and possibly destroyed his career in the process.
Consider the list of All-Star-caliber players who have come back from a ruptured Achilles:
History shows the road to recovery from an Achilles injury could be a long one for Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/uCmPPq6cPz
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 12, 2019
Durant will be 31 at the start of next season. Given the timelines that ESPN graphic mentions, he could miss all or most of the 2019-20 season, a genuine concern to any team that may have considered signing him as a free agent.
Consider also that none of those players competed at anywhere near the same level of effectiveness after sustaining their respective Achilles injuries.
Chauncey Billups’ career was already all but over by the time he was 35, so tearing his Achilles was just the push he needed to finally retire.
Kobe Bryant played just over 100 games following his injury in 2013.
In 2012-13, he averaged 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting, but shot an atrocious 37.3 percent from the field in 2014-15, his first full season after coming back.
Elton Brand was a two-time All-Star before his injury, but he failed to average more than 15 points per game over a full season after he returned.
And along those same lines, Dominique Wilkins went from the “Human Highlight Film” to a living fossil who played two of his last five pro seasons overseas after he could no longer be effective in an NBA uniform.
The jury’s still out on DeMarcus Cousins, but early returns sure look like they’re venturing into “was never the same” territory.
That’s the history Durant is fighting against as he recovers from surgery and has to teach his legs how to play basketball again.
The biggest question of all might be how much money Durant lost by pushing himself too far.
That’s because teams that previously may have looked to sign him to a giant contract will now hesitate to do so.
Instead of seeing a two-time NBA Finals MVP, it’s possible those teams now see a 31-year-old shell of a player destined to underachieve for the rest of his playing days.
Hopefully, Durant will come back better than ever. But it could be a while before we find out.
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