“Some s**t is going to happen" - Kevin Durant keeps it real on playing 82 games for Suns & dishes his outlook on injuries

As Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns get set to tip off their 2023-24 regular season, the two-time NBA champion is in no mood to rest and preserve his body. Durant, who turned 35 a few weeks ago, no longer possesses the body of a young NBA player.

When a reporter asked if he and the coaching staff have talked about preserving his body to keep him healthy this season, KD wasn’t having it, saying that he was in no mood to sit to keep himself safe from injuries.

“Some shit is going to happen," Durant said. "It’s going to happen. You try to prevent me from being injured or being out there, I honestly don’t know what good that does. Just let me play.”

Durant is not one of those players who would sit for load management and get ready for the postseason. He has said that he loves playing basketball on a nightly basis. Even though he is eligible for load management, his stance remains clear on sitting for games.

With age and his career progressing, injuries have become a concern for Durant. Since suffering an Achilles tendon injury in the 2019 NBA Finals, the one-time MVP has suffered several injuries. He missed all of 2019-20, played 35 of 72 games in 2020-21 and 55 games (of 82) in 2021-22. Last season, he played only 47 out of 81 games for the Brooklyn Nets and the Suns.

Unless Devin Booker and Bradley Beal play to their potential, it would require KD to step up and play more minutes. However, at his age, there's no certainty that his body can sustain that amount of time on the floor. Moreover, the fatigue may have an impact on his postseason performance.

What did Kevin Durant say about load management?

This is not the first time Kevin Durant has refused the idea of taking rest in the season to preserve his body. Even when he came back from the Achilles injury to play his first season with the Brooklyn Nets, he averaged 33.1 minutes throughout the season.

“I know a lot of people, I don’t even know if they’re concerned or not, I just think it’s a conversation to have, like, I’m playing more minutes and I’m coming off an injury and all this other stuff," Durant said. "But I like to play. I’m a basketball player, I enjoy to play, I want to play 48 minutes. …My basketball life is not that long, so I want to get the most out of it.”

Durant has very few years left in his career, and he wants to play his best basketball. With the Suns, he has a legitimate chance to win a championship, away from the Golden State Warriors.