Wanda Durant, the mother of Golden State Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant, joined the set of Good Morning America on Tuesday to shed light on what her son is dealing with after suffering an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Heading into Monday's Game 5 matchup against the Toronto Raptors, it wasn't clear if Durant would be well enough to play, as he was still recovering from a calf injury that was sustained in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite that fact, he was given the green light to take the floor without a minutes restriction.
With ten minutes remaining in the second quarter, Durant brought the ball past the timeline on offense. After picking up a screen near the three-point line, he started to make a move towards the hoop. However, as he planted his right foot, his ankle gave way.
Durant went down in immediate pain and did not return to the game. Initial reports of an Achilles injury were later confirmed by the Warriors' medical team, which means he will likely be out of commission for quite a while.
“So how is Kevin, both physically and emotionally?” GMA's Robin Roberts asked Wanda during her guest appearance on the show.
“Emotionally, it's a little tough for him,” Wanda replied. “Physically, of course, you all saw how he went down. He's having a rough time right now, but with the love of our faith, our God and our family, we're gonna be okay.”
“I was excited because he was doing so well,” Wanda added. “And then, when it happened, I just kind of sunk. I was just glued on him, and glued on his eyes to see how he was doing. It's still kind of hurtful to see the anguish in his eyes. He looked as though he felt somewhat dejected at that time.
“I talked with (Kevin) maybe five to ten minutes afterwards,” Wanda said. “He just told me not to cry. I know he worked so hard to get back in playing shape. He just told me he was going to be okay and not to worry.”
FULL INTERVIEW: @mamadurant opens up about son @KDTrey5's dramatic injury during Game 5 of the #NBAFinals and his future in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/B1ZE5nDErl
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 12, 2019
At this point, there is no timetable for Durant's return, as Achilles injuries can take several month to recover from. His teammates, however, will be back in action on Thursday night, when the Warriors will look to stave off elimination by the Raptors in Game 6. Tip-off inside Oracle Arena is set for 9:00 p.m. ET, with ABC having live broadcast coverage.
Join us in wishing Durant a speedy recovery.
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