Kevin Durant Says Warriors Didn't Mishandle His Calf Injury in Playoffs
Kevin Durant missed significant time in the 2019 playoffs due to a calf injury, but he isn't dwelling on it.
When asked in an interview with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes if the Warriors mishandled his injury, Durant cleared up any questions surrounding his former team.
"Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no," he said. "I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back. It was only me and [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] working out every day. Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5."
He added: "It just happened. It’s basketball. S--- happens. Nobody was responsible for it. It was just the game. We just need to move on from that s--- because I’m going to be back playing."
Durant missed nine postseason games with the Warriors during the 2019 playoffs after straining his right calf in the second-round series against the Rockets. He returned in Game 5 of the NBA Finals when Golden State was down 3–1 to the Raptors. Unfortunately, Durant's return was cut short when he exited the game after rupturing his Achilles. The Raptors went on to win their first championship in franchise history, and Durant signed a max deal with the Nets after having surgery in mid-June to repair his Achilles.
The forward said he wanted to return for Game 5 of the Finals, regardless of the Warriors' record.
"No matter what the series was, I was aiming for Game 5," he said. "That's why I played when it was 3-1. No matter what, I just wanted to play in the Finals. I just wanted to hoop, especially if I could be out there. I was feeling good leading up to it...I really wanted to play in that series."
