Remember 2017? What a time it was to be a Warriors fan. With Kevin Durant joining an already stacked 73-win team, they instantly became the most lethal squad in the league. Many deemed it the best team ever assembled. And the Warriors proved it by going 16-1 in the playoffs to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. Of course, bagging his first championship demanded KD to have a massive celebration. But things might have gone a bit overboard that night!

You see, three months prior, Durant suffered a brutal MCL sprain after his then-teammate Zaza Pachulia fell into his leg during a Wizards game. Many feared The Slim Reaper’s season was over. But KD was determined to make a complete recovery for the playoffs and reportedly made a massive lifestyle change. “He had sworn off alcohol to help the recovery and get back for the playoffs,” veteran insider Anthony Slater recently revealed in his last episode as a co-host of the Warriors Plus/Minus show.

So, when Kevin had his first sip of alcohol after winning the title following the long break, he was immediately drunk. “In the celebration, he had a few swigs of champagne, and he was like, kind of drunk off like three swigs, four swigs, or whatever, burping and stuff,” Slater remarked. Even KD admitted to it during a presser in 2017: “I’m talking too much at this point. I had a couple too many beers. I haven’t had a beer since February.”

Imagine a drunk Kevin Durant heading to the Oracle Arena parking lot on his own, moments after winning his first championship.

Sure enough, Dub Nation could not contain its excitement at this rare sight, as Slater revealed, “He was mobbed by the whole Warriors fanbase that had waited out in the Oracle parking lot.” Fans just wanted to celebrate with their Finals MVP. The media veteran deemed it the high moment of the KD era in Golden State. And to think that moment might not have happened had Durant’s injury been more serious than it eventually turned out.

Zaza Pachulia called Kevin Durant’s injury a “bad accident,” but fortunately he was back on time

When Zaza inadvertently caused KD’s MCL sprain, Dub Nation was heartbroken. While it was only Durant’s first year in the Bay Area, he was clearly the Warriors’ best player, averaging 25.1 points and over eight rebounds. Losing him for the season could have meant another failed title pursuit. His absence had an immediate impact as the Warriors lost the game where he got injured and another one a few days later.

Despite the massive concern, Zaza, who had the reputation of intentionally injuring players, tried not to blame himself for the unfortunate setback. “I feel bad it happened. If I did something on purpose or even if I had flopped, that probably would have made me feel worse. But it wasn’t even a flop. I got pulled. I fell. Nobody had control over it. KD knows. I talked to him after the game, and I saw him in his room in his hotel. He knows it was an accident. Bad accident,” he said.

Fortunately, KD’s determination and some luck helped him recover before the playoffs, and he was back exactly when the Warriors needed him. In the playoffs, he averaged 28.5 points and nearly eight rebounds. Sure enough, he was ecstatic to finally break his alcohol fast after getting the job done, saying, “To have a beer right now and come talk to you guys, it feels great.”

Regardless of where Durant’s career takes him, the memories of that historic run will stay with Dub Nation forever.