Netflix forces Suns fans to revisit the moment when it all fell apart

It wasn't fun in the moment, or looking back at it.
Houston Rockets v Phoenix Suns
Houston Rockets v Phoenix Suns | Chris Coduto/GettyImages

Kevin Durant's calf injury wasn't fun when it happened in real-time, and it wasn't fun to relive it in a Netflix documentary, either. But in episode three of Starting 5, Durant talked about the calf strain he suffered against the Dallas Mavericks which caused him to miss 10 of the next 13 games and bothered him throughout the 2024-25 season:

"By the third quarter of that Dallas game, I was feeling a little sore already. Like, I figured it was from doing calf exercises in the weight room. I felt a little pull. After that, my left calf was just a little bit more sore. I tried to see what my pain threshold is at that point, and I thought that it wasn't that bad because I was able to finish the game... But after the game, I could tell it was gonna be something that was going to be bothering me for the next few weeks..."

In a 36-46 season, it might feel hyperbolic to say there was one moment when things fell apart, but Kevin Durant missed 20 games last season and the Suns went 3-17 without him, so yes, his injury really was the moment everything fell apart.

Durant did return and played 62 games on the season, but the tone was set for the season; without KD, the Suns were essentially hopeless. With him, they weren't world beaters (33-29 for the year with Durant in the lineup) but they were at least competitive every night.

Kevin Durant's final season with Suns is now immortalized

We know how the KD era ended in Phoenix; during the documentary, he seemed happy to be there, I suppose, but it's a little bittersweet watching this documentary and knowing that the Suns' portion of it will be full of disappointment, and that it was Durant's last season with the team. There aren't too many moments Suns fans can watch and say, "That's my team!" with pride and joy.

Maybe they'll run it back with Devin Booker for season three when the Suns shock the NBA in 2025-26. Right? Well, probably not. But it feels like they owe Suns fans one, right? All the other teams in the documentary were good! Tyrese Haliburton was playing Mario Party, and Jaylen Brown was hanging out with Bill Nye! And what do Suns fans get? Kevin Durant beefing with Charles Barkley and reminiscing about his Oklahoma City days. Pain.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations