Steve Kerr Addresses Rumors Kevin Durant Is Unhappy with Warriors over Injury

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr once again defended the team's handling of Kevin Durant prior to Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, during which the star forward ruptured his Achilles. 

Kerr told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami on The TK Show neither Durant nor his representatives have indicated they were unhappy with how the medical process played out as he received clearance and returned to the court.

"We had not only our staff but Kevin's own personal specialist and then a third independent specialist all clear him to play," Kerr said. "All three after the fact were shocked at what proceeded with the Achilles. They all said it was the first time they had ever seen this."

Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported Monday there was a level of frustration on Durant's side about whether the Warriors' medical staff had any indication the strained calf he had suffered earlier in the postseason could lead to a major Achilles injury:

"But the indication from several league sources is that Durant is not happy with the team, and the presumption is that it stems from whatever role Warriors officials played in his decision to suit up. Coach Steve Kerr says he was told Durant could not further injure himself by playing, which obviously proved not to be true. If Durant was told the same, it would give credence to the notion that, as one league executive claims, 'He's really pissed off at the Warriors.'"

In the second quarter of Game 5, Durant planted with his right foot and immediately indicated something was wrong.

KD Aggravates His Calf Injury and Heads to the Locker Room

Warriors general manager Bob Myers said immediately after the game the 10-time All-Star had hurt his Achilles, but the severity of the injury was unclear.

Kerr addressed the situation a few days later, telling reporters the team had spoken with Durant, as well as his manager, Rich Kleiman, and personal doctors in the buildup to Game 5 to evaluate where things stood. He added that the worst-case scenario presented was Durant re-injuring his calf.

The calf strain forced Durant to miss a little over a month. His health and availability were daily storylines when he was out of action, and it looked like his return would help swing the Finals as he scored 11 points in 12 minutes against the Toronto Raptors before heading to the locker room.

Now, Durant could miss the entire 2019-20 season given the lengthy recovery period a major Achilles injury requires.

ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Durant opted out his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.