Kevin Durant Achilles Injury Mega-Thread (Keep discussion here, please)

[gmoney411]

The NBA and sports in general really need to step it up and find a way to keep players off the court in situations like this. We've seen it time and time again where players push through injuries and end up being the ones that suffer the real consequences. Somebody or something needs to be there to save these players from themselves and a sports culture that says you are being selfish if you don't put yourself at risk of further injury by playing.

[Heej]

Why is wrong with Bob Myers? He's crying like Kevin Durant fell over dead on the basketball court. He just hurt his achilles, I'm sure he will survive.

He's crying cuz that's their entire reputation they spent years building all going down the drain. For a generational player to get a career debilitating injury on their watch due to their malpractice will have repercussions for however long Captain Lightyears owns the team.

[FJS]

I remember when okur force yo play vs nuggets in 2010. He tore his achilles and the he had to retire. He was 31 and tried to play with nets but he was done.
Sorry for kd

[Frosty]

The Raptors reaction was pretty shocking, but in light of what Durant has done I think we can all understand why they reacted the way they did, even though it was still the wrong thing to do. I believe that he will make a near full recovery since he's young, and such a combination of height and lightness. This does look really bad on GSW though.

I went back and looked at it. Durant went down but he wasn't doing a Paul Pierce and writhing in pain. It looked like it might be minor. In hockey when a player gets up and gets off the ice on his own after an injury, fans cheer, that likely has more to do with the response than the idea that an entire fan base is cheering on an injury.

[Vladimir777]

It makes me angry that so many people on this board are now saying they respect KD because he was willing to play on an injury. You shouldn’t respect someone for a reason like that. They shouldn’t have to be willing to injure themselves to gain your respect.

[udfa]

It makes me angry that so many people on this board are now saying they respect KD because he was willing to play on an injury. You shouldn’t respect someone for a reason like that. They shouldn’t have to be willing to injure themselves to gain your respect.

Maybe KD wanted to win another title. That's the kind of motivation that makes people risk major injury

[heatwillbeback]

So a few things:

1. I don’t believe the Warriors that this is a different injury than the first. I feel the original injury was underreported. It would be a major coincidence if he injured for the first time what everybody thought he injured last time in his first game back. I feel it was likely a partial tear that became a full tear this game.

2. Durant is a gamer for giving it a go.

3. Media did pressure him into playing, but I do not believe there is any way to stop that. Durant is a guy that really cares what people think about him, and it likely affected his decision to give it a go.

This is a bad look for the Warriors staff. There is no doubt about that. But many players have decided to play through injuries and many more will.

[whatever_]

let's hope it's a minor achilles injury... I feel bad for the guy

[Drygon]

The Raptors reaction was pretty shocking, but in light of what Durant has done I think we can all understand why they reacted the way they did, even though it was still the wrong thing to do. I believe that he will make a near full recovery since he's young, and such a combination of height and lightness. This does look really bad on GSW though.

With the exception of Dominique Wilkins, nobody has made a full recovery from Achilles injury...

It looks like now the warriors are going to pay Durant 31 million to rehab. I suppose that is the risk they took when they cleared him to play.

Still think that Irving goes to Brooklyn and KD joins him the following season.

I don't know if Kyrie is interested to play with Durant who may become a shell of his former self in a couple of seasons.

Brooklyn Nets will probably try an re-sign D'lo and Kyrie stays on a long-term deal with Boston Celtics.

They may get Anthony Davis if they trade away their young pieces.

[bootsythornton]

how do his teammates feel now? The ones leaking comments on "confusion" to the media?

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

It looks like now the warriors are going to pay Durant 31 million to rehab. I suppose that is the risk they took when they cleared him to play.

Still think that Irving goes to Brooklyn and KD joins him the following season.

You don’t think somebody else is willing to pay him to rehab?

For 31m a year who knows. He would be be taking a huge risk opting out now.

History shows guys are never the same after this injury.

Then again I can see NY offering him a max.

[heatwillbeback]

how do his teammates feel now? The ones leaking comments on "confusion" to the media?

Depends on if you actually believe the players said/leaked anything.

I think that part was the media creating stories. You always have to look at stories with confidential sources as questionable.

[NBAFan93]

The media and all those pressuring him to play are just as much to blame for this. Since game 4 it was all anyone could talk about - all those pundits, all over social media - can KD play?, KD they need you...

Everyone is to blame for pressuring him to get out there, it wasn’t just the Warriors. Well now people may not see KD play at all next season - for any team!

[Drygon]

Wrong.

If anything, Durant himself fecked up by not sitting out without the risk to aggregate injury.

That being said, Warriors also deserves a fair share of criticism for allowing him to play.

[gmoney411]

Wrong.

If anything, Durant himself fecked up by not sitting out without the risk to aggregate injury.

That being said, Warriors also deserves a fair share of criticism for allowing him to play.

So what you are saying is that the Warriors did fail him by allowing him to play?

[dlts20]

Meh. Most people are competitors. MJ would have played, Kobe would have played, and even myself would have played. I am a competitor and I would love my brothers and teammates enough to sell out, also like Looney is doing. Guys do it in the NFL all the time. If it's on the line and you have a chance then you go for it

[Drygon]

Wrong.

If anything, Durant himself fecked up by not sitting out without the risk to aggregate injury.

That being said, Warriors also deserves a fair share of criticism for allowing him to play.

So what you are saying is that the Warriors did fail him by allowing him to play?

Durant had a calf-injury that required months to recover and Warriors still let him play like nothing.

This incident could've easily been prevented.

Meh. Most people are competitors. MJ would have played, Kobe would have played, and even myself would have played. I am a competitor and I would love my brothers and teammates enough to sell out, also like Looney is doing. Guys do it in the NFL all the time. If it's on the line and you have a chance then you go for it

You can be a competitor without being a fecking idiot to play through serious injuries.

[LKN]

So a few things:

1. I don’t believe the Warriors that this is a different injury than the first. I feel the original injury was underreported. It would be a major coincidence if he injured for the first time what everybody thought he injured last time in his first game back. I feel it was likely a partial tear that became a full tear this game.

2. Durant is a gamer for giving it a go.

3. Media did pressure him into playing, but I do not believe there is any way to stop that. Durant is a guy that really cares what people think about him, and it likely affected his decision to give it a go.

This is a bad look for the Warriors staff. There is no doubt about that. But many players have decided to play through injuries and many more will.

I'm not conspiracy theorist... but I'm kind of with you on the bolded. I mean it *could* be true that it's a different injury.... but it seems like WAY too much of a crazy coincidence. I mean Occam's Razor isn't just for shaving.

Totally agree on point 2 obviously as well.

It's unfortunate if 3 had any influence.... if it did Durant has learned a hard lesson in the most difficult way.

[Guest202]

I think Durant's injury will lead to a shorter NBA season because I think many more players are going to take injury diagnosis and return from injury into their own hands.

We're going to see A LOT more of Kawhi Leonard type handling of injuries going forward. The NBA is going to be forced to make substantial changes to deal with this.

That’s my hope. These players are run into the ground for way too many RS games, way too many minutes per game, too many playoff games. KD got hurt because Kerr played him too much vs Houston, then too much too soon last night.

[dlts20]

It makes me angry that so many people on this board are now saying they respect KD because he was willing to play on an injury. You shouldn’t respect someone for a reason like that. They shouldn’t have to be willing to injure themselves to gain your respect.

Bruh, you called him the 2nd best player of this generation and you were ok with him joining a team that had combined for over 140 regular season wins, 2 mvps, 1 title, and up 3-1 to win a 2nd title. If you can't see why people lost respect for that then you are a person who accepts everything. You keep trying to change the narrative or act naieve to what people are talking about