Last week Kevin Durant tore his right achilles tendon against the Toronto Raptors in game five of the NBA Finals. Should he have played who knows. Only Mr. Durant knew the severity of his injury and how he felt. If he felt it was in his best interest to give it a go, and that he could perform his MVP caliber level of play, then why not. But more than likely, that was not the case.
Durant was pressured from the media and fans to get out on the court to help bring the Warriors back from a 3-1 series deficit. Durant was listening to a lot of outside voices and perhaps worried about his legacy, or so it seemed. When it was all said and done, Mr. Durant was injured, not hurt.
Many athletes play with bumps and bruises. Its all part of being an athlete. Rarely are you going to feel one-hundred percent when competing. But as an athlete you have to understand what is limiting your overall capability. If youre injured and are contemplating whether you should play, hold yourself back. The strain on your body is not worth it.
From my personal experience in college, I never wanted to be the guy who couldnt be able to send it all out on the field. My junior season of college football, our starting quarterback got hurt and I found myself taking a majority of the reps for the week. And when I say a majority, I mean all the reps. When I threw the football, my arm felt like when you bang your funny bone against a table. By game day, it was numb.
I never wanted to take the time to see the trainer and it lingered with the severity of the numbness ranging from day to day for the rest of the season. By the time spring football came, my arm still wasnt in shape with a weak right rotator cuff and some serious scapular tightness. I took months rehabbing my rotator cuff to get it ready for my senior season. In time, my trainer said I was all right to come in.
So for all coaches and athletes. Dont feel the need to push your player or yourself, because the most important thing is making sure you can play to the capability that will help your team be in the best position to win. Why make something worse, when you can help make it better.
