New York Hoops Star Tells Devastated College Player ‘He’s Not Done’

As a basketball player, tearing your Achilles tendon is about as devastating as it can get. The recovery time is long and grueling, the rehab process is slow and painful, and your ability to return to the player you were before the injury is questionable, at best.

So, when college basketball fans saw Villanova standout go down last weekend, and grab for the area where your Achilles is located on your leg, they know the prognosis wasn't great.

Their worst fears became reality, when Moore was diagnosed with a tear.

NBA fans have seen similar types of injuries, too. Few Achilles tears have been more publicized, or more devastating, then when then-Golden State Warriors' star, Kevin Durant, did it in the NBA Finals. Now with Brooklyn, Durant still knows the physical and emotional toll that this kind of injury can cause, and he's reached out to Moore and his family to help.

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The conversation between Durant, Moore, and Moore's parents was preceded by a conversation between Durant and Villanova basketball head coach, Jay Wright. As asserted by The New York Post in their article on the subject, Wright and KD formed a relationship during Team USA basketball events, and have remained close in recent years.

After receiving the devastating news of Moore's injury, Wright was quick to write to Durant, who immediately reached out to Justin Moore to help console him.

As part of Durant's conversation, he outlined the healing and recovery process that he went through, and have a realistic look at what a recovery would look like for the promising basketball star.

In addition, and more importantly to Moore, he explained how many NBA players have gone through the same injury, and have come back to play at the same level that they were playing at before the injury. He told Moore that "he's not done" playing at a high level, and should continue to be excited about what the future may hold.

This, right here, is much more than just a basketball story. This is a humanitarian story, and has lessons that any number of us can learn for our lives moving forward. There are few basketball players more famous and well-known than Kevin Durant. What's more, there are few more devastating moments in sports, than suffering a season-ending (and career-threatening) injury on the biggest stage you've ever played on.

For Durant, his fame and notoriety took a back seat. In this instance, he was simply a mentor, a guide, and a voice of reason during an immensely emotional time in Justin Moore's life.

Say what you will about Durant, and his interactions with the media and online. He is, at heart, a good guy, and a considerable amount of people will now be rooting for the "good guy" on the Brooklyn Nets more than they have ever before.