OAKLAND, California: Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant underwent surgery Wednesday for a ruptured right Achilles tendon, confirming the injury and the operation in an Instagram posting.
Durant, averaging 34.2 points a game in the playoffs, suffered the injury in Monday’s fifth game of the NBA Finals, which the Warriors won 106-105 to pull within 3-2 of Toronto in the best-of-seven series.
It was Durant’s first game back after missing a month with a right calf strain, the 2017 and 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player having missed nine playoffs games in the span.
“What’s good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY,” Durant posted.
“My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way.”
The news came just minutes after the Warriors finished a workout on the eve of hosting game six of the NBA Finals, hoping to win to force a seventh game Sunday in Toronto as they seek a third consecutive NBA title and fourth in five seasons.
“Like I said Monday, I’m hurting deeply, but I’m OK,” Durant posted. “Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat.
“It’s just the way things go in this game and I’m proud I gave it all I physically could, and I’m proud my brothers got the W.
“It’s going to be a journey but I’m built for this. I’m a hooper.
“I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering with Dub Nation while they do it.”
Warriors’ Durant undergoes torn Achilles tendon surgery
Warriors’ Durant undergoes torn Achilles tendon surgery
- Durant suffered the injury in Monday’s fifth game of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors
- It was Durant’s first game back after missing a month with a right calf strain
Pablo Mari joins Al-Hilal from Serie A side Fiorentina
- Former Arsenal defender will bolster the SPL leaders with Kalidou Koulibaly still away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal
RIYADH: Al-Hilal on Sunday offically announced that former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has signed from Serie A side Fiorentina. The player immediately joined his new colleagues in a training session.
The move will bolster Al-Hilal’s defence, with Kalidou Koulibaly still away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, who face Egypt in the semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Mari has played 16 games with Fiorentina in all competitions this season.
“Al-Hilal have signed a contract with Spanish defender Pablo Mari to join Al-Hilal from Italian club Fiorentina on a six-month contract, with an option to extend for another year,” Al-Hilal announced in a statement.
The 32-year-old defender won the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2020 and lifted the Copa Libertadores with Brazil’s Flamengo in 2019.
The Spanish centre-half started his career at Mallorca, where he was a product of the club’s youth academy. In 2013, he moved to Gimnastic in the third tier of Spanish football, where he spent three years before Manchester City signed him in August of 2016.
Mari was immediately loaned out to Girona on a one-year deal, and he would also have similar stints at NAC Breda in the Netherlands and Deportivo La Coruna in Spain in the following two campaigns.
The series of loan spells were ended when he joined Flamengo on a permanent deal in 2019, but after a season at the Brazilian club which led to continental success, Mari was loaned out to Arsenal in the January transfer window at the start of 2020.
After winning the FA Cup a few months after joining, the move to the North London club was made permanent. However, his spell at the Emirates led to further loans spells at Udinese and Monza, with the latter securing his services on a full-time basis in May of 2023.
Fiorentina signed Mari in January of 2025 before his latest move to Riyadh was announced.
