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Thursday 13 June 2019

Achilles Western Conference semi-

finals against the Rockets,
Continued from Page 17 results. When we gathered then missed the next nine
all the information, our feel- games. A pending free
Durant has made his own ing was the worst thing that agent, it’s unclear what
announcements before, could happen would be might be next for Durant
such as writing on The Play- a re-injure of the calf. That now that he is set for a long
ers’ Tribune website about was the advice and the rehab and recovery. Team-
his decision to leave Okla- information that we had. mate DeMarcus Cousins re-
homa City to join Golden At that point, once Kevin turned in January nearly a
State in July 2016. was cleared to play, he year after rupturing his left
The Warriors said later was comfortable with that, Achilles tendon and under-
Wednesday that Durant we were comfortable with going surgery last season
had the surgery at the Hos- that. So the Achilles came while with New Orleans.
pital for Special Surgery in as a complete shock. I “Everybody has great
New York, performed by don’t know what else to Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, left, falls over 20/20 hindsight,” Curry
Dr. Martin O’Malley. add to that, other than Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka, bottom, as Warriors forward said, then added: “I trust
Andre Iguodala (9) looks on during first-half basketball game
Kerr said everyone in the had we known that this was action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June our medical staff and know
organization is “devastat- a possibility, that this was 10, 2019. Bob Myers has our best in-
ed,” including Dr. Rick Ce- even in the realm of pos- Associated Press terests in terms of not just
lebrini, the team’s director sibility, there’s no way we though he noted, “Kevin up for when you get into what we can do in this se-
of medicine and perfor- ever would have allowed checked all the boxes, and coaching, general man- ries, but long term in our
mance. The Warriors made Kevin to come back.” he was cleared to play by agement, in the NBA,” Kerr overall health.
a “collaborative” decision After the game Monday, everybody involved,” in- said. You see how hard he took
to clear Durant to play — a teary, emotional general cluding doctors from within The two-time reigning NBA it, talking to you guys after
with the input of Durant manager Bob Myers asked the organization and from Finals MVP was injured the game. And that’s really
and his representative — anyone who was looking the outside. Monday night in the sec- genuine and authentic. So
and had no idea that Du- to place blame to do so “I completely understand ond quarter of Golden you can waste time talking
rant risked a serious Achilles on him — not Durant, the the world we live in. As Bob State’s 106-105 victory that about the what-ifs and this
injury by returning from a medical staff or athletic mentioned the other night, forced a Game 6 at Oracle and that. Injuries are tough
strained calf, Kerr said. trainers who worked so tire- there’s going to be blame. Arena on Thursday. The and they suck.
“Now, would we go back lessly to get him back. There’s going to be finger- Raptors lead the best-of- They’re a part of our game,
and do it over again? Kerr said he also under- pointing. We understand seven series 3-2. and they’re going to con-
Damn right,” he said. “But stands people wanting to that and we accept that. Durant initially was injured tinue to be a part of our
that’s easy to say after the point blame somewhere, This is kind of what you sign May 8 in Game 5 of the game. q