Kevin Durant says he's not going to rush return from injury
After undergoing foot surgery last week, Kevin Duranttold reporters Tuesday that he wasn't going to rush to return.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star, who arrived to his press conference on a scooter, said that though he’s been “antsy” since the surgery, he likely won’t come back sooner than his expected 6-8 week time frame.
"Nah, I’m not going to rush it at all. That’s one thing I’m not going to do," Durant said. "I’m sure I’ll feeI better in two or three weeks, but I definitely don’t want to rush it. I’m taking my time with it. I'm just blessed that it happened early in the season so I can get past it and hopefully by December I’ll be ready to play."
Durant underwent surgery Thursday to repair a Jones fracture, a broken bone at the base near the small toe. He was diagnosed with the fracture after experiencing discomfort in his right foot during practice on Oct. 11. The injury will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The reining MVP will miss at least the first 16 games of the season. Durant said he told point guard Russell Westbrook, “Stay who you are. You don’t have to change what you do.”
Since his surgery, Durant has been shooting baskets in a chair at practice and updating Instagram with photos of his recovery.
The Thunder play the Utah Jazz on Tuesday at home in their final preseason game. They will travel to Portland on Oct. 29 to play the Trail Blazers in the regular season-opener.
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- Danielle Zhu