Not much has been heard from Kevin Durant since he announced that he was headed to Brooklyn to play with the Nets. As a matter of fact, no one has heard from him since he ruptured his Achilles against the Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Well fans, we all got our wish, as KD sat down with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports to clear the air, address the rumors and shed some light on what’s been happening since the crazy month of June.
The first question asked, which immediately squashed the rumors that had been swirling since he first hurt his calf against the Rockets in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs, was about his injury and blame put on the Warriors.
He pulled no punches.
“Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no,” Durant said to Haynes. “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 made it clear that no one was to blame and that he and Celebrini had been working hard to make it back for Game 5. What happened in that game was just that, part of the game.
“No matter what the series was, I was aiming for Game 5,” said Durant. “That’s why I played when it was 3-1. No matter what, I just wanted to play in the Finals. I just wanted to hoop, especially if I could be out there. I was feeling good leading up to it. I was working out every day. I was gradually getting back to myself doing the two-a-days. I was really locked in on my game and trying to get back. I really wanted to play in that series.”
Durant went on to discuss other things, but the other burning question was why the Nets and not the Knicks, the latter being the team that everyone (mainly Knicks fans) thought he would be suiting up for this season. But obviously most must have missed, or ignored, the infamous video where Durant, who was in NY at the time, made it clear he would never play for the Knicks.
The internet has receipts.
Knicks fan to KD: "Yo, when you coming to the Knicks?"
KD: pic.twitter.com/5aAO3aEkL0
— The Shadow League (@ShadowLeague) June 30, 2019
So when did KD decide to play for Brooklyn?
“June 30. That morning. I never wanted to disrespect the game by putting my focus on the future. It was always about that day, focusing on that day and what was most important that day. And throughout the season, basketball is the No. 1 thing.
“If I was leaving the Warriors, it was always going to be for the Nets,” said Durant. “They got the pieces and a creative front office. I just like what they were building.”
So now that KD has addressed the rumors and stories, he can move on to rehabbing, building his brand and getting ready to be the next big thing making noise in Brooklyn.
