As much as teams love double-teaming Kevin Durant, they can only try to alter his shot at most. The near 7-footer knows his way around the court and can pull up for a double-pump game-winner if it comes to that. With that, and his tough stints with season-ending injuries, Durant has developed a heightened sense of possible matchups. Even though KD saw plenty of physicality detouring him from his hot spots this season, the sharpshooter has managed 27.1 points per game on 52.3% shooting (41.3% from three) in 75 games for the Phoenix Suns, his most since the 2018-19 season with the Golden State Warriors.

So, when Durant was asked about his consistent availability throughout the campaign, KD jokingly replied, “No players flopped into my legs this year.” He then radiated how his recovered MCL injuries still manage to take a toll on his body. Additionally, when asked about the potential approach to prevent such injuries in the future, Durant hilariously quipped, “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.” Moreover, he said, “I know who those guys are, and I try to stay away from them.”

Despite Durant’s meticulous approach, the season was not all merry for the star. He constantly faced physicality. On the offensive end, opposing players aimed to restrict him by crowding the floor. The frustrating tactic even got to Frank Vogel when the coach called officiating a “joke”, mocking, “The freedom of movement rules that are in place don’t apply to Kevin Durant,” after a March game against the 76ers.

Looking back at Kevin Durant’s crash-dummy reference

Sure, Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury was probably the worst setback in his career. Moreover, the timeline of it prevented the 2-time champion from making history, the first-ever 3-peat since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002. However, Durant, in his recent comments, referenced his time alongside the Brooklyn Nets.

The first one came in January 2022, when his teammate Bruce Brown took a body in transition and collided with KD. The injury kept Durant away for 2 months. Moreover, during the same time next year, KD saw a similar fate, this time through Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.

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As Butler found his way to the rim, his shot was blocked by Ben Simmons. However, upon contact, Butler fell to the floor, colliding with Durant’s leg near the baseline; forcing the star to sit out another 2 months.

While Durant did not name players in his remarks, fans claim that he taunted both Bruce and Butler. However, when looking back at the instances, there is no Zaza Pachulia kind of moment in sight and none of the two injuries come through a deliberate attempt to hurt Durant. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or is it something else that has more narratives to debunk?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.