Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant has put together one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory. But unfortunately, it will only be good enough to eventually land him second in the MVP voting to LeBron James.
Durant became only the sixth player in NBA history to shoot at least .500 from the field, .400 from three-point range and .900 from the free throw line, joining a list that includes Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller and Dirk Nowitzki. That’s a pretty rare accomplishment. Even more impressive, Durant has done this while averaging 28.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
But despite his outstanding play, Durant’s feat has been overshadowed by the overall dominant season James has had with the Miami Heat. And not only will Durant fall short in the MVP racer, he also conceded the scoring title thanks to a late-season surge by Carmelo Anthony and by sitting out the final game of the season. It’s not as if Durant hasn’t won the honor before; he’s led the NBA in points per game in three consecutive seasons prior to this one.
Durant appears to be one of the type of players that puts more importance on team success than his own personal accomplishments, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was more proud of the Thunder securing the top seed in the West than a scoring title or MVP award. MVP’s and a ton of points don’t guarantee a championship, and it’s evident with Durant’s improved growth this season that a title is his ultimate goal.
There will be many more years for Durant to chase records and MVP’s. Durant and the Thunder are chasing a championship, and that appears to be their collective primary priority, starting at the top with their best player.
