NBA: Kevin Durant Hints At Early Return Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Kevin Durant has hinted at an early NBA return amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Durant had suffered a calf injury a month earlier in a second-round playoff matchup against the Houston Rockets. He attempted to bounce back and help the Golden State Warrors in the Finals but instead of lifting the team up to victory, Durant torn his Achilles and was never seen inside the court. Since then, many have been questioning if he could still return.

While still injured, Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason. In January, former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters that Durant was “progressing fantastically.” But after 24 hours, Durant’s manager and agent, Rich Kleiman, was asked if Durant could return this season, his response was “it wasn’t as positive.”

Throughout the 2019-20 campaign, Durant hasn’t traveled with the team on the road. But just recently, the 2-time Finals MVP traveled with the Nets for their 104-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 10 at Staples Center. And though Durant’s highly anticipated return is still unclear, a recent video posted on social media by his brother Tony suggests that the NBA superstar could be back sooner than later. The said video shows Durant was well enough to get past his defender and even impressively throw down a thunderous dunk.

Sadly, Durant’s return to action will be postponed once again (even if he is really healthy enough to play) because of the coronavirus. On Sunday, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a recommendation that might impact whether the NBA will continue this season. The CDC is recommending that organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States for the next eight (8) weeks because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski followed up the report and stated that the league is prepared to play in mid-to-late-June with no fans in the stands.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the first reported NBA player infected by COVID-19 posted a video update about his health. He also send out a PSA to fans on how to further protect themselves from the virus.

Gobert announced he was giving $200,000 to Jazz arena workers who will miss out on working games at Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of the Utah Jazz. He will also give $100,000 to families in Utah and Oklahoma affected by the virus.

Despite the promising hint at early return, it is still a question whether Durant can still be as dominant as he used to. Prior to the injury, Durant was at his best form averaging 26 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds per game.