When Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, he feared he would never return to his superstar form.
"This is career-ending, I'm done," Durant recalled thinking.
"That's what I was thinking," he told ESPN, "because that's all I was hearing, that this s--- is over."
Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets that offseason, sat out the entire 19-20 season and then reestablished himself as one of the world's best players during the 2021 playoffs.
Durant played 75 games in the regular season this past season and was generally more reliable than his younger co-stars in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
"My whole being has been committed to playing basketball. I didn't think it was time yet. It's that simple," Durant said. "And when I'm that committed to something, I didn't even think about anything else but, like, when are we starting recovery? As soon as it happened, everybody wanted to cry with me. I did that for a second, crying, because everybody else was crying, and then I'm like, 'When are we doing surgery? When can I start my recovery process?' And that's how it was, man. I'm ready to get back, quick."
Durant's return was not just fueled by his love for the game, but something existential.
"I think all these guys love it," he said. "It just feels like life or death for me since day one growing up. If I wasn't doing this, what the f--- else am I doing? Until the wheels fall off. I can't just not be the best basketball player that I can be every day. That's been the mentality in my head since I was 8 years old.
"I had no other choice but to go back to work. I wasn't going to go back and be like, 'Mom, Dad, Bro, Sis, Godfather -- all my whole family that has been trusting in me and believing in me that I'm living for and I'm pushing this family name for every day -- [and say] 'I'm done, I tore my Achilles.' Like, what the f--- you mean? You're done? You can't be done."
