To no one's surprise, Kevin Durant has been named the NBA's 2014 Most Valuable Player of the Year. It is Durant's first MVP award of his six-year career.Durant, 25, also won the scoring title this season after averaging 32 points per game. He becomes the first player since Allen Iverson in 2001 to win MVP and the scoring title in the same season.
Durant averaged around 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game this year while leading the Thunder to second seed in the Western Conference. He was the first player since Michael Jordan in 1990 to have 32-7-5 averages in a single season.
The 6-foot-9 forward had 119 of the 125 possible first place MVP votes. LeBron James had the other six. It will be the first time since Derrick Rose in 2011 that James will not win the MVP award after the Miami Heat start won four of the past five MVPs.
James agreed with Durant winning the award, though: "Much respect to him and he deserves it. He had a big-time MVP season."
"He's been the most consistent guy all season long," Russell Westbrook added. "He's done a great job of leading us to where we are now. He's basically put himself in front of everybody else in the league and shown that he's the best player in the world."
Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin finished in third place in the MVP voting. Followed by Griffin is Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden. Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry finished in sixth place while Clippers' Chris Paul was in seventh.
Congrats to KD. Well deserved!
