Kevin Durant confirmed he ruptured his Achilles. He already had successful surgery.

(Image credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

published 12 June 2019

Just as the Golden State Warriors feared, the injury star forward Kevin Durant suffered in the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday was, indeed, a ruptured Achilles tendon.

That's not pleasant news for the Warriors, who trail the Raptors 3 games to 2 in the finals, nor for Durant who was set to cash in on a hefty free agent contract this offseason. Now, i t's unclear exactly how Durant's Achilles will affect his offseason — he could exercise his player option and come back later in the year for Golden State, for example.

Ultimately, though, it's a depressing scenario for the NBA, in general, no matter how long Durant is out next season or whatever decision he makes regarding his free agency. Durant is one of the game's premiere superstars and his presence on the court will be missed. The good news, however, is that Durant already underwent successful surgery and will begin the road to recovery as soon as possible, he announced via his Instagram account. Tim O'Donnell

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View this post on InstagramWhat’s good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way. Like I said Monday, I'm hurting deeply, but I'm OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat. Its just the way things go in this game and I'm proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I'm proud my brothers got the W. It's going to be a journey but I'm built for this. I’m a hooper I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering with dub nation while they do it.A post shared by 35 (@easymoneysniper) on Jun 12, 2019 at 12:54pm PDT

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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