KD: Avoiding floppers, 'crash dummies' was key to healthy season

Kevin Durant has been plagued by injuries in recent years, but that wasn't the case this season as the 35-year-old played in 75 of the Phoenix Suns' 82 games.

In an interview with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Durant credited his healthy season to being able to stay "clear of way of the floppers."

"No players flopped into my legs this year," Durant said. "Last two years, I had my teammate flop into me and an opponent flop into me two straight years that caused me to get MCL injuries. If it wasn't for that, I probably would've been out there the same amount of games, but I'm glad nobody flopped into me. Had a couple of nagging injuries, but it was day-to-day type of stuff. I'm grateful for that."

When asked about avoiding those types of situations, Durant replied, "Just stay away from the crash dummies, you know. The dudes who try to sell calls and don't mind hurting people by diving on the floor trying to sell a call. I know who those guys are, and I try to stay away from them."

Durant's 75 appearances are the most for him since his 2018-19 campaign with the Golden State Warriors when he played in 78 games. He was sidelined for the entirety of the following season after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Durant finished the regular season with averages of 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and five assists per contest. His Suns will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.