Kevin Durant didn’t really have to issue a disclaimer. All along, he had been clear about his plans: He would be taking his time rehabbing from a ruptured right Achilles tendon, and doing so meant missing the entire 2019–20 season. He wanted to be extra careful in his recovery efforts, and not simply because he’s a relatively old 31. True, convalescence for any player is invariably more difficult with an advancing age. In his case, though, he is likewise informed by previous experience; his intrinsic competitiveness spurred him to hasten previous returns to the court off significant injuries, resulting in short-term gains at the expense of the future.
To be sure, unforeseen turns of events enabled the Nets to cling to the hope of Durant making an appearance before the end of the current season. The suspension of the campaign in March and projected restart next month gave rise to a timeline that had him more ready to trek back to the court. Not coincidentally, July was the original schedule of the Tokyo Olympics, cited by business partner Rich Kleiman in February as “definitely a possibility” for his return. The oxymoron, in turn, may have served as fuel for general manager Sean Marks to cite it as a “$110-million question,” albeit with the caveat that “he knows his body better than anybody.”
Marks is right, of course. Durant is the ultimate authority, and, over the weekend, he knew well enough to finally put all the talk to rest with a definitive no. “My season is over. I don’t plan on playing at all,” he told ESPN’s The Undefeated. “We decided last summer when it first happened that I was just going to wait until the following season. I had no plans of playing at all this season.” And, needless to say, the fact that he tested positive for the new coronavirus in March serves only to complicate matters, his subsequent clean bill of health notwithstanding.
Not that the Nets can be blamed for clinging to the prospect of Durant on the active roster. He’ll definitely improve their chances to go deep in the playoffs. That said, they remain a long shot for the Larry O’Brien Trophy; under the revised schedule, they have a mere eight games on tap before the start of the postseason, not enough to either improve their standing (seventh in the East) or get him back to prime physical shape. Meanwhile, pressure would be on him to deliver as their lone marquee name, not unlike that which led to his injury in Game Five of the 2019 Finals.
So, yes, Durant made the right choice early on. And, yes, he’s on the mark in sticking to it. The benefits may not be immediately apparent, but staying away is a longevity play that figures to reap lasting benefits. The need for him to explain his thought process in no way discounts the value of his decision. And, as a result, he and the Nets will be all the better once the 2020–21 campaign rolls around.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
