After waiting anxiously for news regarding Kevin Durant's health, the Golden State Warriors superstar confirmed on his Instagram that he officially underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Durant's status has been one of the main storylines of the 2019 NBA Finals. Initially, it was clear that Durant would miss at least the first couple of games in the series. However, with the Warriors falling behind 1-3, he decided to give it a go in Game 5.
And in the first few minutes, Durant proved why he is one of the greatest players in league history. He scored 11 points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in 12 minutes, easily rising over Raptors defenders to drain a trio of three-pointers and spark the Dubs to an early lead.
But Durant's return was ill-fated. After pivoting while making a dribble move against Serge Ibaka, Durant went down holding his right Achilles.
Despite overcoming a late deficit to prolong the series, the Warriors were noticeably somber in the postgame press conferences, and Golden State president Bob Myers was extremely emotional when he addressed the media.
Myers stated that Durant was one of the most “misunderstood” players in the NBA, and that his heart could not be questioned after he put his body on the line.
On Wednesday, Warriors guard Klay Thompson echoed that sentiment:
Klay on ppl questioning KD's heart "This man has won every accolade there is. So for these people to say that, it's really just irresponsible and stupid because this man has been a basketball prodigy since he was 15, and his skill level is not attained unless you put the work in"
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) June 12, 2019
Thompson was also vehement in his admiration for Durant following Game 5, and chastised Raptors fans that had initially cheered when Durant went down.
Needless to say, Durant's determination and effort can hardly be questioned given that he likely sacrificed a year of his career for his team.
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