Kevin Durant said the Golden State Warriors are not responsible for the Achilles injury that will likely force him to sit out the 2019-20 season.
"Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no," Durant told Yahoo Sports in his first interview since suffering the injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June.
Durant returned to the court for Game 5 after missing nine straight postseason games with a right calf strain.
"I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back. It was only me and (trainer) Rick [Celebrini] working out every day.
"Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5. Hell, nah. It just happened. It's basketball. S*** happens. Nobody was responsible for it. It was just the game."
Durant has moved on from the Warriors, signing a four-year, $164m contract to play for the Brooklyn Nets when he returns. He spent three seasons with the Warriors, winning two NBA championships.
Durant, who turns 31 in September, told Yahoo Sports he watched most of the rest of Game 5 on television.
"Yeah, I still think about that night," Durant said. "Every experience I've been through in the league is obviously always ingrained in my mind, but that one is definitely always going to be a huge part of my career because it's the biggest stage and the type of injury I had.
"But now I look at it as me just going out there playing basketball, and I happened to get hurt. And now I'm just waiting to get back.
"I know it's a huge deal to everybody else, but I just try to take it on the chin and keep it moving."