The decision to let Kevin Durant play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals could haunt the Golden State Warriors for years to come.
Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher dropped a damning article on Monday that detailed Durant being “pissed off the Warriors” because of how the team handled his calf strain injury during the finals.
“Questions that linger over whether the strained calf led to the Achilles injury, and if the Golden State Warriors made him aware of that possibility, remain unanswered. But the indication from several league sources is that Durant is not happy with the team, and the presumption is that it stems from whatever role Warriors officials played in his decision to suit up. Coach Steve Kerr says he was told Durant could not further injure himself by playing, which obviously proved not to be true. If Durant was told the same, it would give credence to the notion that, as one league executive claims, “He’s really pissed off at the Warriors.”
While Durant’s anger is likely to go on for some time as he continues ot recover from his injury, Kyrie Irving is reportedly “pressing” him to join forces with him in Brooklyn next season, according to that same report.
“Irving, meanwhile, also recently purchased a new home in South Orange, New Jersey, but league sources say he is pressing Durant to join him with the Nets and is trying to recruit Jordan as well. Durant did have his Achilles repaired by a Nets team physician, Dr. Martin O’Malley, but the New York Post’s Mark Fischer quoted one of O’Malley’s medical colleagues warning not to read too much into that.
Durant and Irving, league sources say, have met twice in recent weeks to discuss their desire to continue their careers on the same team, an idea forged while playing together on the U.S. national team. The first meeting took place in the Bay Area while Durant nursed a strained right calf; the second occurred in New York shortly after Durant had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.”
Broolyn have become the odds on favorites to land Durant this offseason.
