(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Ever since tearing his Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals, Kevin Durant has continued to play at a very high level, and he is still one of the five to 10 best players in the league.
However, he has become injury-prone, and in each of the previous three seasons, he appeared in no more than 55 games.
But this year, he played in 75 contests, and he said he was able to avoid any real injuries because he was more careful about players who were flopping or otherwise trying to sell fouls, per NBACentral.
“No players flopped into my legs this year. 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,” Durant said.
Kevin Durant says staying away from floppers and ‘crash dummies’ is the reason why he stayed healthy this season
“No players flopped into my legs this year. 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… pic.twitter.com/oIjWKqRd7Q
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 15, 2024
Flopping has been a significant problem in the NBA for many years, and this season, the league has said it would penalize players who engage in the act.
With Durant staying safe, he was able to average 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists a game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from 3-point range.
At 35 years of age, he almost seems a bit ageless, and he has helped keep the Phoenix Suns stable through a rash of injuries and inconsistent play.
The Suns, who were being picked by some last summer to reach the NBA Finals, won a mere 49 games and finished sixth in the Western Conference, and they will begin the playoffs against the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves.
Durant is closer to the end of his career than he is to the beginning of it, and after the Suns gave up tons of draft capital to get him last February, there is tons of pressure on them to win the world championship sooner than later.
The post Kevin Durant Reveals Why He Stayed Healthy This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.