The nature of Kevin Durant's injury, unfortunate as it was to grasp, seemed perfectly clear.
After the Golden State Warriors superstar was forced to the locker room by another injury to his lower-right leg following just 12 minutes of court time in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, general manager Bob Myers, fighting back tears, told reporters that Durant's right Achilles, not his previously strained calf, had been injured. Later on Monday night, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne confirmed the worst fears gleaned from Myers' announcement, reporting that Golden State expected to learn after further medical evaluation on Tuesday that Durant had suffered a torn Achilles tendon.
It wasn't until Wednesday, however, that the public finally found out for certain, and that came after Steve Kerr and Warriors players met with the media. Why didn't Golden State release the severity of Durant's injury before then? According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the team held off on announcing that Durant had ruptured his Achilles tendon because it knew he wanted to do it himself.
Two sources tell @TheAthletic that the Warriors did know about Kevin Durant’s surgery before his Instagram announcement. Kevin wanted to share the news himself, and the Warriors followed suit.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 12, 2019
Shortly after his coaches and teammates finished their media availability, Durant posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram, saying that he'd already undergone corrective surgery to repair his Achilles.
The Warriors have received widespread flak for how they handled Durant's return to the floor, despite everyone within the organization and those close to the team insisting that the decision to play him was made in collaboration with Durant, his representation, team trainers, and more. Regardless of whether or not you find those claims believable, it should be heartening that Golden State allowed Durant to dictate the terms of how he would announce such a devastating setback in his career to the public.
Follow Us
Subscribe