Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports sat down with Nets forward Kevin Durant earlier this week to discuss several notable topics, including how the 30-year-old star perceives the opinion of some that the Warriors mishandled Durant’s return from a Grade 2 right calf strain. His response?
“Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no. 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. Hell, nah. 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 also spoke about his choice to sign with Brooklyn, saying that the decision was not made until the morning of June 30, as he didn’t want to “disrespect the game” by putting his focus on the future during the season. Interestingly, he also said that he only considered the Warriors and the Nets as potential destinations.
Of course, speculation ran rampant throughout the entire 2018/19 season that the Knicks were a strong, if not primary contender to land both Durant and Kyrie Irving this summer. In response, Durant said “If I was leaving the Warriors, it was always going to be for the Nets. They got the pieces and a creative front office. I just like what they were building.”
There’s more from Durant’s interview with Haynes, which is worth a read in its entirety:
- Speaking on how some Toronto fans cheered and applauded his injury before several Raptors players signaled the crowd to stop, Durant smirked and said, perhaps with a suggestion of karma, “It will probably be the last time they will be in the Finals.”
- Durant had a difficult time watching the remainder of Game 5 from his hotel room, even turning the channel at one point before flipping back later to cheer on his teammates.
- Durant would not confirm that he will miss the entire 2019/20 season, leaving open the possibility that he could return before season’s end.
- Durant’s perspective on the entire injury situation is a positive one, saying “Yeah, I still think about that night… that one is definitely always going to be a huge part of my career because it’s the biggest stage and the type of injury I had. But now I look at it as me just going out there playing basketball, and I happened to get hurt. And now I’m just waiting to get back. I know it’s a huge deal to everybody else, but I just try to take it on the chin and keep it moving.”
Right. And him and Kyrie were talking about going to ice cream places.
He’s talking trash about it being Toronto’s last time in the finals, it’s probably his last time in the finals too.
Thought the same thing……and I am a KD fan.
Where is the loud mouth liar Perkins who keeps bashing GSW. Sounds like he was full of BS as usual. the guy shouldn’t even be called a sports insider.
Nice response. I don’t recall being a severe Durant critic except to say he was going to wait to about the midway point in the series to make his comeback and demonstrate his importance. It was a risk taking the court at any time, so might as well wait as long as possible AND prove a point. But he came in in hero mode and tried to do too much.
If he makes his signing decision earlier, the Knicks may have been considered. Dinwiddie said Irving was leaning to a NY team in December. But by the time he considered options, BRK was clear choice.
Again it is shown that winning beats tanking for getting FAs.
We’ll see if winning and signing injured free agents beats tanking.
Perkins is dumb as rocks. I don’t get why they continue to give him air time.
KD is a different kind of cat. Marches to his own beat. I hope he comes all the way back. He’s so great for the league.
Or something something karma
He’s not playing this year. An Achilles injury is not great for a basketball player. I have had the injury and in no way, shape or form comparing myself to a professional athlete but that is a one year injury minimum. In fact, 10 years after you feel it every day. Just not the same. He’ll play again but the quick explosion is gone. It will be psychological as much as physical. This is a high risk move for the Nets.
Another insight into why the majority of reporting on free agency destinations, are completely fabricated. Journalism is one of the few industries where you can flat out lie in your job.
He didn’t make a decision until June 30 but somehow on June 30 he had already eliminated 28 teams.
Right.
Very nice guy. He didn t decided until June 30. Sure. This explane how much he is nice.
Hoping that match was HIS last time he was in the finals.
The Knicks have to face a much larger problem than why Durant and KI didn’t consider them. Like, why was their FO clueless enough to believe they were a virtual lock to get both, even as most of the league apparently knew otherwise. They didn’t just string the fans along (which would have been bad enough), they really misread everything they tried to read, including their own popularity among players. The ex-players who were saying the Knicks were getting these guys were listening to the FO. That extends to Fizdale as well.
Nobody in this stadium thought he torn his Achilles.
To his credit, no one has torn there achilles so nonchalantly. Dudes a true warrior and belongs in a Roman colleseum.
Sorry for cheering for 8 seconds or less. Swear to god it looked like he pulled a hammy.
Also, raps will be back and sooner than the fools gold nets.
Sorry to burst your bubble but… no you won’t any time soon, probably ever!
One thing about the Nets is they will have the all whiner team with KD and Cryree
Brooklyn Whinets
On another other note:
Hate how the media and dumb arse sjw’s make the narrative as inflammatory as possible.
Durant popped his Achilles and barely reacts; casually walks to the sidelines and sits down and holds his knee.
Fans assume he strained his hamstring and cheer for like five seconds.
Fans recognize he’s seriously hurt and the arena goes quiet.
Fans give Durant a standing o as he’s helped off the court.
True story, nobody wants to see an all time greats career compromised.
True story number two, Durant is one of the most popular ballers in toronto. Fan boys have been drooling over him for years in toronto. He’s easily bigger than lbj in the toronto basketball community. Sorry to hear he doesn’t know it.
Some of this post makes sense. But all was lost at the SJW moment. What do they have to do with anything other than your unresolved anger issues?
“All was lost at the SJW moment”?
It’s the same post with the same conclusions, with or without.
There are witnesses though that say the cheering was for more than 5 seconds and harsh words were shouted.
“SJW” is often useful– just too marginally connected here to be worth the distraction.
Ya, no reason to mention “SJWs” here.
No reason to mention them ever, really. It’s not a useful label.
Thank you for correcting and curbing my obvious anger issues and coming to the rescue of overreacting sjw’s everywhere.
Congrats on your moral superiority lmao.
Grrrrr angry grrrr
There’s no such thing as moral superiority my friend. That was my point.
raptors fans cheered for 1 reason only. Not because they hated Durant because they wanted another warrior to be injured for a easy series win. Many fans of other teams would have done the same. Without Dutrant and Thompson it was a easy win with Cousins hobbled. Warriors were left with Curry, Green and a weak bench.
Rip English
““It will probably be the last time they will be in the Finals.”
This will be posted in the locker room and used as motivation for this year’s team, a division rival of the Nets. Who ever said Durant was not a motivational leader?
They can post in the locker room, put it on a billboard, it’s not going to matter. They won’t sniff the finals any time soon.
Yes they will especially when the Greek Freak signs with the raps. Believe in Masai