While the NBA is making plans to resume the 2019-20 season next month, Kevin Durant has aleady ruled himself out until next season.
“My season is over,” Durant told The Undefeated on Friday. “I don’t plan on playing at all. We decided last summer when it first happened that I was just going to wait until the following season. I had no plans of playing at all this season.”
In the wide-ranging interview with Mark J. Spears, Durant discusses the death of George Floyd, black pride, COVID-19 and his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon.
Asked if he had the urge to play, Durant replied: “It’s just best for me to wait. I don’t think I’m ready to play that type of intensity right now in the next month. It gives me more time to get ready for next season and the rest of my career.”
Durant went into detail about how he has been affected by the tragic death of Floyd and what he is doing to bring awareness to police brutality and injustice.
“This is about our culture. I’ve seen the care, love and attention we have as a community. With everything going on right now it makes me have a lot of pride. We have a lot of stuff on our back, but we keep fighting through. It’s beautiful to see everybody coming together as one right now for what we all believe in, which is equality. The black community always sticks together through tragedy. But to see everybody support us in their own way is cool.”
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving said he may travel to Florida to support his teammates, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Like Durant, Irving has no plans to return this season. The point guard underwent season-ending shoulder surgery March 3.
The Brooklyn Nets will be one of 22 teams that will travel to the Orlando, Florida, area to conclude a season that has been suspended since March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
