Steve Kerr on playing Kevin Durant in Game 5: ‘Would we go back and do it over again? Damn right’
OAKLAND – Stephen Curry has not only become an expert on making 3’s. He also understands how sports debate shows work.
“Everybody has great 20/20 hindsight,” Curry said. “There are 24 hours in a day and there are a lot of different takes.”
Especially when it applies to Kevin Durant, his defection to the Warriors, his legacy, his pending free agency and his response to criticism. Durant elicited a new set of debate topics when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon against Toronto in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday.
Did Durant return too soon after missing the past 14 games with a strained right calf? Did the Warriors pressure him to a return in a possible elimination game? Did the Warriors fail to protect Durant from himself? Was Durant’s Achilles injury at all related to his calf injury?
In a tearful post-game press conference, Warriors general manager Bob Myers blamed himself because he oversees the team’s basketball operations. In reality, though, the Warriors are convinced they completed proper protocol. Warriors coach Steve Kerr described the Warriors’ approach as a “cumulative collaborative effort” that involved himself, Myers, Durant, his business partner, Rich Kleiman, the Warriors’ training staff, and Durant’s outside medical doctors. The Warriors also required Durant to complete a full practice before returning in Game 5.
“Kevin checked all the boxes, and he was cleared to play by everybody involved,” Kerr said. “Now, would we go back and do it over again? Damn right. But that’s easy to say after the results. When we gathered all the information, our feeling was the worst thing that could happen would be a re-injure of the calf. That was the advice and the information that we had. At that point, once Kevin was cleared to play, he was comfortable with that, we were comfortable with that. So the Achilles came as a complete shock.”
The Warriors have declined to make Dr. Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, available to comment. Instead, Kerr publicly supported Celebrini, “who is one of the best people I’ve ever been around and one of the smartest, brightest minds that I’ve ever been around.” Kerr also offered sympathy to Durant for his season-ending injury and to Myers, who said “you can blame me” before stressing “I don’t believe there’s anybody to blame.”
“I trust our medical staff and know Bob Myers has our best interests in terms of not just what we can do in this series, but long term in our overall health,” Curry said. “You see how hard he took it, talking to you guys after the game. And that’s really genuine and authentic. So you can waste time talking about the what-ifs and this and that. Injuries are tough and they suck. They’re a part of our game, and they’re going to continue to be a part of our game. But everybody is putting their collective brains together to make the sound, smart decisions. You kind of just live with that, because that’s what’s a part of our game.”
As Curry said those words, Klay Thompson sat by the podium and showed a disgusted and annoyed look on his face.
“I agree with Steph,” Thompson said.
Thompson, Curry, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins have all praised the Warriors’ training staff publicly for their cautious approach with their respective injuries, while seeking their input.
Curry missed 11 games this season because a strained left groin. Green sat for 13 games because of an injured right toe. With the Warriors, Cousins rehabbed his left Achilles seven months before returning in January and missed 16 playoff games because of a torn left quad before returning in the NBA Finals.
“We all want to play basketball,” Curry said. “If we have an opportunity to play or a chance to play, we want to play. That’s just how it is as competitors, and especially at this stage.”
It is not immediately clear how Durant feels the Warriors’ training staff handled him after straining his right calf against Houston in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 8. Durant went to New York on Tuesday to receive an MRI and eventually have surgery on Wednesday, a routine that is typical for players about to have major surgery. Still, Durant suggested in an Instagram post that he has no regrets returning for Game 5.
“Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat,” Durant wroter “It’s just the way things go in this game and I’m proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I’m proud my brothers got the W.”
And to think, before Durant received criticism for not returning earlier.
“It happens to the greatest athletes to ever play,” Thompson said. “Every athlete at his level has gone through it, whether it’s been Kevin, Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, baseball players, Wayne Gretzky. They have all been questioned, especially in this day and age with the media and the 24-hour news cycle. There’s going to be talking heads talking about his game and whatnot. That just comes with the territory.”
Still, Thompson defended that territory.
“You don’t need to question someone’s heart or desire to play when you see their daily work and their resume,” Thompson said. “This man has won every accolade there is. So for these people to say that, it’s really just irresponsible and stupid because this man has been a basketball prodigy since he was 15, and his skill level is not attained unless you put the work in.”
That will not stop the continued speculation and criticism. For once, it did not involve Durant’s pending free agency or his fit with the Warriors. Instead, it pertained to whether the Warriors did enough to protect their star player.
“I completely understand the world we live in,” Kerr said. There’s going to be blame. There’s going to be finger pointing. We understand that and we accept that. This is kind of what you sign up for when you get into coaching, general management, in the NBA. There’s all kinds of coverage, judgment, criticism, and it’s all part of it. So we accept that. The main thing is our concern for Kevin and these last couple of days just checking on him. Obviously, everybody feels horrible for what happened.”
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