NBA Click & Roll: What's next for Kevin Durant after Achilles injury?
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This is where we bring you exclusive content from the Paste BN NBA staff. Plus, we catch you up on the biggest moments, quotes and NBA news you may have missed this week.
NOW WHAT?
In case you missed it (we know you didn't) ... Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. In the few days since, a lot has happened. So, what's next?
Here's all of our content surrounding Durant and the devastating injury.
THE REACTIONS
— Draymond Green said Raptors fans cheering after Durant went down was "bull----."
— DeMarcus Cousins said fans cheering was "trash" and had a big "(expletive)" you for those who doubted Durant and his heart.
— Durant's mom — the real MVP — posted a passionate message calling out her son's critics.
— Drake took a break from trolling and paid tribute to Durant on Instagram.
— Warriors GM Bob Myers held back tears when he announced that Durant's injury was to his Achilles.
— Charles Barkley said the Warriors should shoulder all the blame for Durant going down.
— Durant broke the news of his diagnosis and his surgery himself, posting on Instagram from a hospital bed.
THE AFTERMATH
— This is going to be the longest year of Durant's career. Just ask Kobe Bryant.
— With or without Durant, these Warriors have nothing left to prove, writes Paste BN Sports' Dan Wolken. He also wrote that Durant's injury should serve as a cautionary tale for athletes everywhere and that Game 5 was a failure on so many levels.
— Here are five teams that will be most affected by Durant's injury, which will alter the NBA's landscape for years to come.
— Raptors fans are raising money for Durant's foundation.
CATCH UP AROUND THE LEAGUE
— By the way ... Game 6 is tonight. The Warriors have to win to force a Game 7. It's the last game at Oracle Arena. This is gonna be fun.
— NBA "fan" behavior continues to be an issue, from Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens (who was banned for one year and fined $500,000 for pushing and directing obscene language toward Kyle Lowry during Game 3) to a man being arrested for making vulgar comments about Ayesha Curry on live TV. LeBron James called out Stevens and said there's "absolutely no place" in the game for his behavior, while Steph Curry said the heckling is "stupid."
— Anthony Davis' agent, Rich Paul, has a warning for the Celtics.
— Kyrie Irving has reportedly cut ties with his longtime agent, Jeff Wechsler, and is expected to sign with Roc Nation Sports — the sports arm of an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z.
— The Cavaliers hired Lindsay Gottlieb, Cal's super-successful women's basketball head coach, to be an assistant on first-year head coach John Beilein's staff.
— The Grizzlies hired Taylor Jenkins, a 34-year-old regarded as a sharp basketball mind and relentless worker, as head coach.
— Tony Parker called it a career after 18 seasons. Vince Carter, meanwhile, is giving it a go for one more season — his 22nd.
— No, Kawhi Leonard didn't leave Drake hanging during Game 5.
— Speaking of Game 5 ... what a game it was. Curry and Klay Thompson were phenomenal. So was Durant before he went down. So was Leonard.
— Oh, and speaking of Leonard ... he had a perfect response to Nick Nurse after Game 2.
Check back next week for everything that went down in the Association.