Kevin Durant recently discussed his career-altering Achilles injury, which he sustained when he returned to the Golden State Warriors’ playoff run in 2019.
Durant had already helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back championships, but during their 2019 run he was plagued by injuries.
Kevin Durant Regrets Participating in the 2019 NBA Finals
From the moment Durant joined the Warriors, it became clear they were championship favorites and expected to advance out of the Western Conference. Over the next two seasons, the Warriors did just that, winning back-to-back championships in the process.
Heading into the 2018-19 postseason, the Warriors were looking to make NBA history by three-peating, something that has not occurred since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers era. However, Durant suffered a right calf strain in the Western Conference semifinals, forcing him to miss the entire Western Conference finals.
When he attempted to come back in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Toronto, he tore his right Achilles tendon — an injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the following season. The Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games.
Although Durant had much to gain by participating in the 2019 NBA Finals, he instead suffered a serious injury and missed an entire season. During a recent interview, the Rockets star revealed that playing through the injury, and making it worse, remains one of his biggest regrets.
“I started to feel better. I felt like I was moving good. … If I knew that information, I would’ve made a different decision. If they told me ‘Ah, you can tear your Achilles, I probably wouldn’t have went out there,” Durant said.
Kevin Durant says no one warned him he could tear his Achilles in 2019 finals
“If I knew that information I would’ve made a different decision. If they told me ‘ah you can tear your Achilles I probably wouldn’t have went out there.”
(h/t @NBA__Courtside)pic.twitter.com/NihwUObs2k
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) December 17, 2025
Since his days with the Warriors, Durant has been unable to make a deep postseason run, prompting critics to argue that his greatest accomplishments were largely tied to Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ supporting cast.
He now plays alongside Fred VanVleet, a key contributor to the Raptors’ 2019 championship team, with both serving as veteran leaders for the up-and-coming Houston Rockets, which feature young stars Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün. Despite losing VanVleet to ACL surgery, the Rockets have been one of the league’s best teams, standing fifth in the Western Conference with a 16-7 record.
