On Monday evening, Kevin Durant was included on a reported list of 11 players projected to lead USA Basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. That inclusion was anything but a surprise for one of the best players of all-time, but Durant is also coming off a strong season with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 27.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game with his usual stellar efficiency and, crucially, Durant also played in 78 of 82 games for Phoenix.
With that as the backdrop, Durant spoke with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic and delivered some unbelievable quotes about what helped to lead to that durability.
“No players flopped into my legs this year,” Durant told Rankin. “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.”
Later, Rankin asked a follow-up about avoiding situations like Durant dealt with in the past, and Durant said, “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.”
Durant is always incredibly candid in a refreshing way, and he didn’t let anyone down on this one. Obviously, he is particularly sensitive to this issue given the long-term nature of some of his previous injuries. Plus, Durant is incredibly long and wiry, which can lead him into precarious positions. Some of that is unavoidable in the game of basketball, but Durant has a theory and he’s sticking to it.