Leave it to the New York tabloids to make Kevin Durant's injury about them

The back page of the New York Daily News after Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. The back page of the New York Daily News after Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Photo: Twitter Photo: Twitter Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Leave it to the New York tabloids to make Kevin Durant's injury about them 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

To the surprise of absolutely no one, New York tabloids made Kevin Durant's devastating Achilles injury all about the futures of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

The New York Daily News' back page featured an image of Durant on the ground with the text, "KNICKS LOSE GAME 5" over the top. The deck reads, "Durant goes down with Achilles injury, ruining EVERYTHING as Warriors avoid elimination."

EVERYTHING being the summer plans of the Knicks, Nets and certain New York media members who have spent the entire 2018-2019 season reporting on Durant's impending free agency.

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The New York Post's cover was slightly tamer but no less explicit about how Durant's injury had ruined EVERYTHING for New York, with the main text over the image reading "KEVIN & HELL."

The reaction from the New York tabloids is hardly surprising, and it's a potential glimpse of what Durant would have to deal with, should he choose to sign with either the Knicks or Nets this summer.

Earlier this week, Charles Barkley questioned whether Durant — who regularly reacts to what is said about him in the news and on social media — would be able to handle the New York media landscape.

While Durant was out with a calf strain during the 2019 postseason, he got into a Twitter fight with Fox Sports reporter Chris Broussard and left annoyed comments on Instagram posts that said the Warriors were better without him.

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"Well, I'd say, 'Kevin, you're one of the greatest players I've ever seen,'" Barkley said. "You also got some of the thinnest skin I've ever seen. I don't know if you're made for New York City... I think that would be the toughest aspect. If he's arguing with these teenagers online, he's not going to be able to deal with that New York media."

Durant is expected to undergo an MRI sometime Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting

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