'You can't fake that fire' - What fueled Kevin Durant's incredible return to the game - ESPN

KEVIN DURANT HEARD the pop in his right leg over the roar of nearly 20,000 fans inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Then he collapsed to the floor, holding his leg, pinching his heel.

It was the second quarter of Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. As Durant sat there, a member of the Golden State Warriors, memories from his basketball career flashed before his eyes. Fearing the end of his career, or one that seemed recognizable, he gazed around the court and into the crowd, trying to soak up a final moment.

When he was helped to the locker room, Durant's foot didn't feel fully attached. Then, a doctor performed what's known as a Thompson Test to determine the integrity of the Achilles tendon, an essential band of tissue that helps connect calf muscles to the heel. Patients lie face down, with their feet hanging off the edge of a table or a bed, and a doctor squeezes the calf to see if the foot moves. If it doesn't, then that tendon is likely torn.

Inside the room, the doctor squeezed Durant's right calf — nothing moved. The doctor looked around at other specialists, at nearby Warriors officials who looked on. The room fell silent. Doubt soon crept in. «This is career-ending, I'm done,» Durant recalled thinking. Even if he came back, maybe he'd only average 15 points a game, maybe a few more — maybe.

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