During the reporting of a recent story on John Wall, another player repeatedly worked his way into conversations: Kevin Durant. Over the last few months, as Wall continued his recovery from an Achilles injury, he went on something of a pickup game tour, bouncing from Miami—where he played with current teammate James Harden—to Los Angeles, where he joined a run headlined by Durant, himself 18 months removed from an Achilles tear. And Durant, observers said, did not appear to have missed a beat.
“He didn’t look like Kevin Durant after an Achilles injury,” said one witness.