Naturally, the conversations about his workload are going to surface. Many fans are going to believe that the Houston Rockets should “load manage” the 38-year-old, especially after dealing with injuries during the playoffs last season.
When Durant was asked directly if he’s talked about embracing a lighter workload this season, he had one simple question. Why?
“It’s been the same message for me for a long time, man,” Durant explained. “Like, I’m better on the court. The team is better when I’m on the court. Now, if we handle our business the first three quarters or earlier in the game, then maybe, but just for the sake of getting my minutes [down] just because he’s older or he’s played a lot of minutes, like, that’s what I’m supposed to be training for: to play the long haul. Play 48 minutes a night. I get the concern, but if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there.”
Durant made the infamous decision to suit up in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals while dealing with a right calf strain, which sidelined him for nine straight games.
The Golden State Warriors were facing a 3-1 series deficit to the Toronto Raptors, prompting Durant to sacrifice his body for a chance to keep Golden State’s shot at a three-peat alive.
The Warriors accomplished that mission, but at a cost, as Durant suffered a torn Achilles after lasting just under 12 minutes on the court.
Durant’s decision to suit up could’ve cost him a lucrative contract in free agency, but the Brooklyn Nets trusted that Durant would return to form and did not want to lose out on an opportunity to land a generational superstar, so they handed him and Kyrie Irving exactly the contract they were seeking.
KD justified Brooklyn’s faith, making a strong case for being the best basketball player in the world and eventually helping them create a dynamic superteam, with James Harden later joining the fold.
Durant unloaded the clip despite Irving going down and Harden severely compromised with a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the Nets’ second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, responding with a near 50-point triple-double without taking a breather in Game 5 and delivering another near 50-point piece while playing all 53 minutes of Game 7.
Had his big toe not been on the line, the Nets could’ve advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals despite all of the obstacles they faced.
The main point of this story, though, is that Durant genuinely wants to do everything he can to be on the floor despite undergoing a myriad of foot surgeries and suffering a torn Achilles.
Simply put, KD epitomizes the phrase “ball is life.”
