After missing a month of playoff action to a calf strain ... and with his Warriors down in the Finals ... Kevin Durant took the floor in Game 5 in hopes of holding off the Raptors and give Golden State its third straight NBA title. Instead, KD ruptured his Achilles and may miss all this season.
Did the Warriors bring Durant back too early? Did it lead to his injury?
Durant has absolved the Warriors of any culpability but at Media Day Friday, Kyrie Irving slammed the Warriors and swore that he would protect his best friend from that ever happening again.
“A lot of people have responsibilities for why that happen on a national stage. We all know K was not ready to play in that environment,” Irving said on Media Day. “We all know that, whether people want to admit or not. He was out 31 days … We put him out there to sell a product that came before the person, Kevin.
“And now I am here to protect that. I am going to be the protector and not let anyone infiltrate that circle. ‘Hey K, do you, get right. We’ll be fine.’”
That’s not happening here, said Irving.
“I’ll be over-patient with Kevin because I don’t want that to happen to anyone ever again especially on that type of stage where he was answering questions about whether he would be back or not. I want him to be 101 percent healthy,” Irving said.
When Durant took the stage and was asked about his best friend’s statement, he moved the conversation along. While Durant said he appreciates how Irving want to protect him since he got hurt, but said, “I make my own decisions.”
- Kyrie Irving taking his new Kevin Durant job seriously in Warriors dig - Howie Kussoy - New York Post
- Kevin Durant’s No. 1 defender: New Nets teammate and best friend Kyrie Irving - Barbara Barker - Newsday
- Kyrie Irving on Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury: KD ‘wasn’t ready to play in that environment’ - Ian Begley & Corey Hersch - SNY
- Irving says Durant was rushed back, won’t be rushed again - Brian Mahoney - AP