via ESPN
- Golden State Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers announced that Kevin Durant injured his Achilles in Game 5 of the Finals. The exact extent of the injury is unknown.
- Myers grew emotional during the press conference, holding back tears as he said Durant is a "misunderstood," "good guy" who just wants to play basketball.
- Myers said he didn’t think anyone was to blame for Durant’s injury, but said people could blame him because he runs the basketball department.
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The Golden State Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers held a tearful press conference on Tuesday after Game 5 of the Finals as he announced Kevin Durant injured his Achilles.
Durant returned from a calf injury for Game 5, his first game since May 9, and then injured his leg again in the second quarter after playing just 12 minutes. He was helped off the court and went back to the locker room immediately.
Myers told reporters on Tuesday that Durant did indeed injure his Achilles but was not certain of the extent of the injury. Durant is scheduled to get an MRI on Wednesday.
Myers held back tears as he announced the injury and said that Durant is a good person and that the injury is unfair.
"Kevin Durant loves to play basketball. And the people that questioned whether he wanted to get back to this team were wrong," Myers said. He added: "He’s one of the most misunderstood people. He’s a good teammate, he’s a good person. It’s not fair."
Myers said the decision to bring back Durant was collaborative and that he didn’t believe anyone was to blame. He said the team felt comfortable clearing Durant to return. Myers said if people needed someone to blame, they could blame him because he runs the basketball operations department.
Watch some of Myers’ comments below:
Without Durant, the Warriors battled back to win Game 5, aided by a short, nine-point burst from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the final minutes.
Read more: Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry scored 9 points in 95 seconds to save the Warriors season
Durant later took to Instagram to congratulate his teammates on their win, comparing it to a shot of tequila:
The series now turns back to Oakland for Game 6 for the final game in the Warriors’ Oracle Arena. The team will have to pull off a short-handed win to force a decisive Game 7.
- Read more:
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See Also:
- Kevin Durant appeared to re-injure his calf and had to be helped off the floor just 12 minutes into his big Finals return
- The vibe around the Warriors has reportedly changed as Kevin Durant’s injury lingers and they now find themselves on the brink in the NBA Finals
- Kevin Durant’s injury has lasted longer than anyone thought, and a window has suddenly opened for the Raptors
Source: Business Insider – sdavis@businessinsider.com (Scott Davis)