Kevin Durant Thought His Career Was Over After Achilles Tear

Kevin Durant thought his NBA career was over when he tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors. 

Durant, who was with the Golden State Warriors at the time, said his whole basketball career flashed before his eyes when he heard a pop in his leg. 

KD thought his career was over after he tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.

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The Warriors lost the 2019 Finals to the Raptors in six games. Durant left Golden State in the summer of 2019 for the Brooklyn Nets. KD won two rings and two Finals MVPs with the Warriors. 

A future Hall of Famer, Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering from his Achilles tear. He made his grand return to the court in 2020-21 and put up incredible numbers, averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists. 

The Nets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2021 playoffs in seven games. Durant averaged 34.3 points in the 2021 postseason in 12 games against the Boston Celtics and Bucks. 

In 2021-22, Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. However, the Nets got swept by the Celtics in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Durant averaged 26.3 points in the Celtics series. 

Last season, Durant played for the Nets and Phoenix Suns. The one-time MVP requested a trade from Brooklyn and was traded to Phoenix. Durant averaged 29.1 points with the Nets and Suns.

Phoenix beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs but lost to the Denver Nuggets in the second round in six games. Durant averaged 29.0 points in 11 games against the Clippers and Nuggets. 

A 14-time All-Star, Durant is averaging 28.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists this season for the Suns, who are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with a record of 33-22. Incredibly, Durant is still one of the top players in the NBA despite suffering what many thought was a career-ending injury. 

The 35-year-old Durant has career averages of 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors, Nets and Suns. He’s sixth in NBA history in points per game and 12th in points.