Steve Kerr says he was told Kevin Durant could only ‘tweak’ injury

Kevin Durant suffered what is feared to be a torn Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, which has naturally led to questions about whether he was cleared to play prematurely. Based on what Steve Kerr said before and after the game, it sounds like that is a possibility.

Prior to tip-off, ESPN’s Doris Burke reported that Kerr told her the team has no long-term concerns for Durant or fears of an Achilles injury. He only said Durant could possibly “tweak” the calf injury.

Doris Burke during pregame "I asked about the possibility of reinjury , Steve Kerr said listen we have no long-term concerns or Achilles issues, what we know is that he could possibly tweak it, that's their only concern"
(h/t @MaxMakeMoves pic.twitter.com/LmtX4FuT0r

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) June 11, 2019

Kerr then seemed to be in disbelief following Golden State’s comeback win over the Toronto Raptors. According to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, the coach kept saying over and over again that doctors said Durant wouldn’t injure himself further.

Rachel Nichols "Steve Kerr said the doctors told him that Kevin Durant couldn't get more hurt" pic.twitter.com/2tk6B1o9Zk

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) June 11, 2019

You really can’t jump to conclusions without knowing all of the details. It could be that Durant was told of the risks and insisted on playing, though Kerr’s remarks indicated that was not the case. General manager Bob Myers said he would accept the blame for Durant’s injury during a very emotional postgame press conference.