John Wall Questions Legitimacy Of Kevin Durant's Initial Injury Diagnosis

Kevin Durant is facing almost a year on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto Raptors. The former Golden State Warriors small forward was only making his return from a calf train before he suffered the catastrophic injury that will see him almost certainly miss the entire 2019-20 campaign.

Durant missed one month during the 2019 NBA playoffs after he suffered a calf strain in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against Houston Rockets. The Warriors were keen to have their best player back for the finals and pushed his rehab but Washington Wizards star John Wall believes everyone was misinformed about the initial injury.

Wall is convinced that the first injury was itself an Achilles injury and not a calf strain like it was reported. And according to the Wizards point guard’s assessment, Durant only aggravated his injury when he started in Game 5 of the NBA Finals when he went down after just 12 minutes holding his Achilles.

“I don’t like to talk about other team doctors or whatever, but if you watched Kevin, the whole time before he played that Game 5 if you watch where he was icing at, or when he had his injury, I know what a calf strain is like. I know what an Achilles injury is like,” Wall told The Athletic, as quoted on Nets Daily. “When you look back like that, I knew it was an Achilles injury from the start. I can’t diagnose what those doctors said. But if you look where he was icing his leg, it was the Achilles the whole time.”

There were lot of questions raised after Durant went down just 12 minutes after spending one month on the sidelines with many claiming that he was rushed back from injury in order to save the Warriors in the finals against the Raptors. The small forward has since left the Warriors to join the Brooklyn Nets in free agency.

Wall, however, is certain that Durant will return to his best once he recovers from the Achilles injury. He was recently spotted walking without crutches which fuelled rumors about an earlier than expected return, but he is unlikely to rush back from another injury and risk suffering a relapse.

“I talk to Kevin all the time. We’re great friends. He’s doing great. He’s taking his time, I guess. I don’t know,” said Wall. “I just wish him the best. He’s one of those guys; if he has the Achilles or not, it’s not going to affect him, I feel because he can score at all levels,” Wall added.