Lakers star LeBron James speaks on what his expectations for Kevin Durant were following his Achilles injury
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Kevin Durant may be in the conversation for the greatest scorer of all time right now. But, the man has already accomplished something that is far more impressive than that.
In NBA history, there have been 44 players to have torn an Achilles tendon. And out of all the players that have injured it, only one has ever been even somewhat close to the same level as themselves prior to the injury. That one man is Dominique Wilkins. And even he had to change his style drastically, to that of a jump shooter to really last in the league.
Why do we tell you this? Well, because Kevin Durant has managed to do that what no one else in NBA history has.
Despite suffering a devastating Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Slim Reaper is already wreaking havoc again as the league’s current best player.
Some do believe there is a difference to be noted, but even the most extreme of that opinion believe that the change is minor at best. Simply put, Kevin Durant not only overcame an Achilles injury, he also came back as at least 90% of his pre-injury self, an achievement that is unheard of.
But before all of this, during the man’s rehabilitation, countless around the NBA were worried. Fans kept having flashbacks of Kobe Bryant’s injury, wondering if the Nets star shared his fate. But, it seems that LeBron James just didn’t feel the same way.
The Lakers star recently revealed what he really thought of the whole situation back when it was happening. And while doing so, he may have even dropped some shade at another NBA franchise.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
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LeBron James was never in doubt about the ability of Kevin Durant post-Achilles injury, calls out ‘group’ for not believing in him
LeBron James may be a competitive man on the court. But off the court, he likes to keep his connections with all other stars in the NBA, for reasons we will let you decide. And among those many stars, was Kevin Durant.
As a fan of the NBA, you may remember when the NBA was postponed due to Covid, and stars used that time to scrimmage against each other. At the time, reporters announced that KD looked as good as ever during these games. Something that came as a sign of delight to all fans across the globe.
But, while most let themselves hope for the best, it appears that one single group just couldn’t get themselves to.
Before, we explain further, here is what LeBron James had to say on the matter.
LeBron James on Kevin Durant’s comeback from Achilles injury when asked by @mcten: “There was never any doubt from myself or anybody in this league…I heard there was only like really 1 group of people that had any doubt on him coming back full strength. Not going to name them.”
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) December 24, 2021
Now, the group in question is said to be the Knicks. Why, you ask?
Well, much like the Nets, the storied franchise was also an option for Durant. But, since the franchise was skeptical about the man’s ability after the injury, they reportedly refused to pay him the asking price.
Suffice to say, the team probably regrets their choices quite a bit, right now.
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