Warriors GM gets emotional, says Kevin Durant has Achilles injury
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Warriors President of Basketball Operations Bob Myers held back tears as he told reporters that Kevin Durant had suffered an Achilles injury.
Myers said he “didn’t believe there’s anybody to blame” but “if you have to, blame me,” Myers told reporters after the Warriors' 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The setback comes as Durant, 30, was due to become a free agent, causing speculation that he wouldn’t return to the Warriors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WARRIORS TAKE GAME 5 WITH 106-105 WIN AGAINST RAPTORS
“Let me tell you something about Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant loves to play basketball. And the people that questioned whether he wanted to get back to this team are wrong,” Myers said. “He’s one of the most misunderstood people. He’s a good teammate. He’s a good person. It’s not fair.”
Durant got injured just before halftime, coming up lame on a crossover move and falling to the floor. He appeared to grab below the calf and more toward the Achilles area, and needed help to limp to the bench area and more help to get back to the Warriors' locker room.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Raptors players were forced to try and quiet the crowd after Durant's injury. The cheering caught the attention of the broadcasters.
The extent of Durant’s injury is unclear, Myers said, adding that Durant is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.
"I'm hurting deep in the soul right now I can't lie but seeing my brothers get this win was like taking a shot of tequila, i got new life," Durant later wrote on Instagram post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Durant is widely seen as one of the top players in the lead, perhaps only behind Lebron James.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.