The latest setback for Oklahoma City Thunder forward and reigning MVP Kevin Durant - whose third foot surgery of the season will see him shut down for four-to-six months - is a downer any way you slice it.
Even his competitors are feeling the hurt.
"It's a blow for him and for our league," LeBron James said after his Cavaliers lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, according to DeAntae Prince of Sports Illustrated. "We're a brotherhood and you never want anyone to go down, especially (someone) of that stature. He means a lot to our game and, obviously, he means a lot to the OKC family. You wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery."
In the 27 games he was limited to in the follow-up to one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history, Durant averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, largely while playing on a minutes restriction. The Thunder, who are on track to finish eighth in the Western Conference, went 18-9 in those games.
He and James squared off in the 2012 NBA Finals, when James was still with the Miami Heat.