The Phoenix Suns acquired Kevin Durant last season, and when doing so, they gave up a lot to get home. However, they had to. Greatness comes at a price, and I’m sure the Suns’ realized that Devon Booker couldn’t do it all by himself, as close as he has gotten before.
They gave up Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 draft swap. They gave up that to get a 35-year-old Kevin Durant, who has torn his Achilles. It’s a risk, to say the least, but in the few years before this one, he has shown that he can be not only the same player but even better in some areas.
Usually, when guys tear their Achilles, they don’t come back. It’s not what ended Kobe Bryant’s basketball career, but it certainly changed everything. There are a ton of other examples, too. The Achilles is the last thing any athlete ever wants to tear, especially an NBA player. Durant did that in the 2019 NBA Finals and returned like it was nothing.
The guy is a beast, which is just part of what makes him different. Frank Vogel, the Suns new head coach who has only coached him for a few months now, explained it perfectly.
“I think the work ethic is something I have not seen close up, how hard he goes in his individual workouts,” Vogel said. “The more you learn about him, you learn that this is just the way that he’s been. There are a lot of guys with talent in this league and the game in general, but not all of them become great players and elite players like KD. I think he’s a perfect exposition of a really talented guy that is the hardest working guy all around, and you put it all together, and you see what you got.”
Durant is one of the best scorers this game has ever seen and maybe one of the most talented players ever. And guess what? The Phoenix Suns have him on their team. The next few years are going to be great, and we get to watch one of the best ever to do it.