First off, I have to say one thing. Stay classy Toronto fans. Stay classy. Everyone expects me to cheer on the "Canadian team" like I have to and sure I'll be a little happier if they win over the Warriors but I wanted the Bucks. But man, like if there was a way for me to hate a group of people quick it was that. There is absolutely no reason. ABSOLUTELY. NO. REASON. That you should cheer a player's injury as a fan, this man is one of the best players in the NBA and he went out there with the stones to try and help his team out of a desperate situation down 3 games to 1. And gets hurt and you all cheer, that is absolutely, pardon my language but absolutely fucking disgusting. So tonight in Game 6, any Raps fans at the bar, anyone in Jurassic Park, anyone going to Oracle, anyone watching on tv if someone gets hurt do not cheer, prove me wrong, prove to me you aren't disgusting pieces of shit. And also Warriors fans, prove to me you are above Raps fans, if someone from Toronto goes down, don't cheer, applaude for him when he gets back up. Man, Drake's the Toronto guy and was upset about KD, cuz he knows that's an awful thing to have happen. The fact that Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka had to try and quell the crowd says a lot about the Toronto fans. SO PROVE ME WRONG GOING FORWARD.
Let's down to the nitty gritty before tonight's game though, how I feel KD's injury happened because he was pressured to go out and compete.
Now, I don't think it was just ownership that pressured Kevin to go out and play in Game 5, I also believe that his coach Steve Kerr pressured him, and that some of his teammates did as well (guys like Draymond Green and even some other guys that may have decided to have a voice who usually have none).
So ownership wants one thing, to win another championship for the Golden State Warriors, to win, to make money. They know that their team is on the brink of being a dynasty to be mentioned with the likes of the 80's Boston Celtics and 90's Chicago Bulls, but their team is down 3 games to 1 and on the brink of elimination to the Toronto Raptors. What's the solution ?? Get Kevin Durant to go out and play, he is a two time Finals MVP, get him out there. But wait, KD isn't ready to go yet, that's evident he's still favouring that leg and it's clear he's not good to go and he's got a past history of leg injury. Doesn't matter, somehow convince him to go out there, how do we do that though. Have the doctors clear him, even if he's not ready, because he'll feel the pressure to get himself out there. Genius. Now, it's obviously speculation because there's no way to know that's what happens but obviously sports is a multi-million dollar industry and this is important to ownership and several industry people have said similar things. Doctors get paid by the team, the team needs KD, so how do you get to that solution.
Steve Kerr, his coach, should also have been able to see KD's weak practice and pre-game and go, "listen Kevin, I was in several NBA finals, I saved Michael Jordan several times from looking foolish, but when I was hurt I say out man. We all know you are a tremendous talent but we don't need you to go out and get hurt there man." That would've been simple, that's what a good coach would've done but again, Steve Kerr wants to win, if the answer means putting stress on KD's leg then do it. It's also why you could tell that from the perspective of a coach and former player he felt incredibly guilty because during the post-game press conference that he differed all questions towards Warriors owner Mark Davis.
Combing the two that's interesting because what I just mentioned, seeing Steve Kerr differ that many questions and seeing Mark Davis not show a shred of emotion said to me, they both knew Kevin Durant was not 100% and shouldn't have played that game but they pressured him out there. Shit, Mark Davis could've at least thrown in a couple crocodile tears to make it seem like he really was upset but he couldn't even do that. Why ?? Because he knows that he tried and that now if he wants to get Durant back in free agency he can low ball him because of his Achilles injury or if he does decide to go elsewhere his value is hurt because he'll need to spend a whole season on the shelf coming off an Achilles injury. Truth be told, Mark Davis knows, he moves the chess pieces around to win NBA Championships and doesn't care what happens to those pieces along the way.
Now onto the players, I can only imagine guys like Draymond Green, who's on record as calling KD a "bitch" is one guy who was like "bro why can't you get your ass back out to help us win ?". Between him and others probably going, "man Klay Thompson came back quick, Andre Iguadola came back quick, Boogie Cousins came back quick, all those guys were slightly banged up, why can't you ??" The only person I can't see from the players perspective wanting KD to rush back is Steph Curry, who clearly despite the picture below, wants KD gone so that it can be Steph Curry's team again and not KD and Steph's team. He wants to prove he can do what he can do. So I'm sure Steph didn't want him to rush back, but I don't think he's too broke up about this.
Let's down to the nitty gritty before tonight's game though, how I feel KD's injury happened because he was pressured to go out and compete.
Now, I don't think it was just ownership that pressured Kevin to go out and play in Game 5, I also believe that his coach Steve Kerr pressured him, and that some of his teammates did as well (guys like Draymond Green and even some other guys that may have decided to have a voice who usually have none).
So ownership wants one thing, to win another championship for the Golden State Warriors, to win, to make money. They know that their team is on the brink of being a dynasty to be mentioned with the likes of the 80's Boston Celtics and 90's Chicago Bulls, but their team is down 3 games to 1 and on the brink of elimination to the Toronto Raptors. What's the solution ?? Get Kevin Durant to go out and play, he is a two time Finals MVP, get him out there. But wait, KD isn't ready to go yet, that's evident he's still favouring that leg and it's clear he's not good to go and he's got a past history of leg injury. Doesn't matter, somehow convince him to go out there, how do we do that though. Have the doctors clear him, even if he's not ready, because he'll feel the pressure to get himself out there. Genius. Now, it's obviously speculation because there's no way to know that's what happens but obviously sports is a multi-million dollar industry and this is important to ownership and several industry people have said similar things. Doctors get paid by the team, the team needs KD, so how do you get to that solution.
Steve Kerr, his coach, should also have been able to see KD's weak practice and pre-game and go, "listen Kevin, I was in several NBA finals, I saved Michael Jordan several times from looking foolish, but when I was hurt I say out man. We all know you are a tremendous talent but we don't need you to go out and get hurt there man." That would've been simple, that's what a good coach would've done but again, Steve Kerr wants to win, if the answer means putting stress on KD's leg then do it. It's also why you could tell that from the perspective of a coach and former player he felt incredibly guilty because during the post-game press conference that he differed all questions towards Warriors owner Mark Davis.
Combing the two that's interesting because what I just mentioned, seeing Steve Kerr differ that many questions and seeing Mark Davis not show a shred of emotion said to me, they both knew Kevin Durant was not 100% and shouldn't have played that game but they pressured him out there. Shit, Mark Davis could've at least thrown in a couple crocodile tears to make it seem like he really was upset but he couldn't even do that. Why ?? Because he knows that he tried and that now if he wants to get Durant back in free agency he can low ball him because of his Achilles injury or if he does decide to go elsewhere his value is hurt because he'll need to spend a whole season on the shelf coming off an Achilles injury. Truth be told, Mark Davis knows, he moves the chess pieces around to win NBA Championships and doesn't care what happens to those pieces along the way.
Now onto the players, I can only imagine guys like Draymond Green, who's on record as calling KD a "bitch" is one guy who was like "bro why can't you get your ass back out to help us win ?". Between him and others probably going, "man Klay Thompson came back quick, Andre Iguadola came back quick, Boogie Cousins came back quick, all those guys were slightly banged up, why can't you ??" The only person I can't see from the players perspective wanting KD to rush back is Steph Curry, who clearly despite the picture below, wants KD gone so that it can be Steph Curry's team again and not KD and Steph's team. He wants to prove he can do what he can do. So I'm sure Steph didn't want him to rush back, but I don't think he's too broke up about this.
WHAT ABOUT KEVIN DURANT, DIDN'T HE HAVE A SAY ??
A lot of people might come and say well listen, Durant was out during warmups that night making crazy things, and that's the thing; several athletes on television have said coming off injury when they weren't sure if it was going to hold up in a game they would try and get stressful things off in warmups to see if it would. You could tell Durant wasn't 100% after his crazy moves pre-game and that's when he should've gone to Steve Kerr and said, "coach it hurts too much, I gotta sit."
So yes, it is partially on KD but not too much.
He had tremendous stones to come out and try to help his team win a title. If I was him, knowing that I was a free agent this off-season, knowing that I've won NBA Championships before and that I've already got one foot out of Golden State and am just deciding where to go. That I would sit out the Finals, wait until the off-season, and take the super max deal that a team like New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, etc is going to offer me. If I am 100% healthy and ready to go for next season, I show MAX VALUE to these teams, if I go out and aggravate my injury or make it worse, my value to these teams goes down.
Boy did it ever, because now say some team signs KD to a 5 year deal, they've only got 4 years with him, because EARLIEST he's coming back isn't until February or March next year just before the playoffs, and that's a maybe. Because an Achilles injury is one of the worst injuries for any professional athlete. He's not in a great spot.
He's not in a great spot because the Golden State Warriors pressured him to get back on the court and play because they were going to lose to the Raptors.
A lot of people might come and say well listen, Durant was out during warmups that night making crazy things, and that's the thing; several athletes on television have said coming off injury when they weren't sure if it was going to hold up in a game they would try and get stressful things off in warmups to see if it would. You could tell Durant wasn't 100% after his crazy moves pre-game and that's when he should've gone to Steve Kerr and said, "coach it hurts too much, I gotta sit."
So yes, it is partially on KD but not too much.
He had tremendous stones to come out and try to help his team win a title. If I was him, knowing that I was a free agent this off-season, knowing that I've won NBA Championships before and that I've already got one foot out of Golden State and am just deciding where to go. That I would sit out the Finals, wait until the off-season, and take the super max deal that a team like New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, etc is going to offer me. If I am 100% healthy and ready to go for next season, I show MAX VALUE to these teams, if I go out and aggravate my injury or make it worse, my value to these teams goes down.
Boy did it ever, because now say some team signs KD to a 5 year deal, they've only got 4 years with him, because EARLIEST he's coming back isn't until February or March next year just before the playoffs, and that's a maybe. Because an Achilles injury is one of the worst injuries for any professional athlete. He's not in a great spot.
He's not in a great spot because the Golden State Warriors pressured him to get back on the court and play because they were going to lose to the Raptors.