Warriors star Kevin Durant confirms he ruptured his Achilles tendon
Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant confirmed Wednesday that he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Durant suffered the injury during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors — his first game since missing nine weeks with an injury to his right calf.
"What's good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY," Durant wrote in an Instagram post. "My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way."
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According to The Athletic, Durant traveled to New York on Tuesday for a medical evaluation of the Achilles injury. An Achilles tear is a severe, season-ending injury that will cause him to miss the rest of the NBA Finals and likely all of next season. The 30-year-old superstar is scheduled to become a free agent this summer, commanding a contract up to the $200 million maximum value.
Before injuring his calf during the Warriors' second round series versus the Houston Rockets, Durant had been averaging over 30 points per game in the 2019 playoffs.
Following Monday night's game, a visibly emotional Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke to the media in Toronto, confirming that Durant sustained an Achilles injury but saying that the full extent of the injury was not yet known.
A closer look at Kevin Durant's right leg injury: pic.twitter.com/XEHPIn9wnW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2019
The Warriors won Game 5 of the NBA Finals 106-105 to set up a Game 6 in Oakland, California on Thursday night. The Raptors lead the series three games to two, and are seeking their first championship in franchise history. The Warriors are the defending NBA champions, having won in 2015 as well as 2017 and 2018.