Over the last few NBA seasons, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant has begun garnering the label of being injury-prone. Being unable to stay healthy and on the court started when Durant suffered a devastating Achilles injury during the 2019 NBA Finals.
While playing with the Golden State Warriors, Durant injured his calf and missed about a month of the 2019 NBA Playoffs. He was cleared to return when the team faced off against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals, but in his first game back, he injured his Achilles.
That offseason, he signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets but missed the entire 2019-20 campaign rehabbing. His entire tenure in Brooklyn was filled with what-ifs, as Durant missed 37 games in his first season back.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
27 games were missed in the season after that and last season, between the Nets and Suns, he missed another 35. It was a brutal stretch for Durant, but he was able to stay healthy this season, appearing in 75 games for the Suns.
What was the difference between this season and the ones in the past? Durant revealed that he was able to avoid serious injury because players were not flopping and falling into his legs this season.
“No players flopped into my legs this year. Last two years, I had my teammate flop into me and an opponent flop into me two straight years that caused me to get MCL injuries. If it wasn’t for that, I probably would’ve been out there the same amount of games, but I’m glad nobody flopped into me. Had a couple of nagging injuries, but it was day-to-day type of stuff. I’m grateful for that…Just stay away from the crash dummies, you know. The dudes who try to sell calls and don’t mind hurting people by diving on the floor trying to sell a call. I know who those guys are, and I try to stay away from them.” (From AZ Central)
The NBA has done a good job of cutting down on flopping this season. It has been a problem for years, but the league moved to minimize it by penalizing players who would commit the act, assessing technicals in the games and fines.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
For the most part, it has worked. There have been a few instances of the referees taking the interpretation of the flopping rules a little far, as inconsistent refereeing is a major problem that the NBA needs to address next.
But, if stars such as Durant are staying healthier, it is a win for the NBA. It is a star-driven league and having the faces of the franchise sitting on the sidelines in street clothes is bad for business.
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