Kevin Durant is Hands Down the 2014 MVP for the NBA Regular Season

This season has seen many great performances among the NBA’s premier players. However, only one player truly deserves the MVP this season. If you have not guessed already, that would be none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Wayne Durant. During the previous four seasons Durant has unquestionably been one of the best players in the NBA. However, this season he has shined brighter than he ever has, and should be recognized as the absolute best! During the past four seasons, Durant has won the scoring title three times, been on the All NBA 1st Team, been selected an All Star, and placed in the top five for MVP voting every year. After last season, when he was 2nd in MVP voting and 2nd in scoring, he expressed his frustration to Sports Illustrated by simply saying, “I am tired of being in second.” Back in 2012, Durant led the Thunder on a remarkable playoff run, only to lose to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. This means that his team was in second place and being in second place is very painful. It is hard to look on the bright side when your team has come so close to winning the championship, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Kobe Bryant, following the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Boston Celtics back in 2008. was quoted as saying, “Second place just means you’re the first loser.” Last year, Russell Westbrook, the Thunder’s other great star, tore his meniscus in the playoffs, which clearly prevented the team from winning the championship.  Coming off knee surgery (his third), Westbrook played in only 45 of  82 games this season.  Nevertheless, Oklahoma City won 59 games this season and earned the 2nd seed in the West, and the major reason for that is obvious: Kevin Wayne Durant! The man was simply dominant. He led the league in scoring this season again with a career best average of 32.0 points per game. He also grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game and dished out a career best 5.5 assists per game. He became much more of a facilitator this season, which helped the Thunder dominate even when Westbrook was out.  A clutch player as well, Kevin hit four game winning shots this season! He shot 50% from the field, nearly 40 % from 3 point range, and hit 87 % of his free throws. Kevin Durant said he was tired of coming in second. Well, guess what? He is no longer second! He is first! He is the total package and the best basketball player in the world! He also is certainly the Most Valuable! Magic Johnson, himself a 3 time MVP, acknowledged that Durant deserves the MVP award in the following tweet back on March 24: “Kevin Durant scoring 51 points tonight sealed the deal on the NBA MVP race.” And that 51 points was against a top team, the Toronto Raptors, 3rd seeded in the East.  Oh and by the way, he hit the game winner that same night, too, in overtime. Durant scored 40 or more points in 14 different games this season, most of which the Thunder won! Even LeBron, a four-time MVP and winner of the award the last two seasons, admitted that Durant deserves it this year. He was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, “Much respect to him and he deserves it…He had a big-time MVP season.”

Personally, I am very happy that Kevin Durant has received the MVP award! If ever a player deserved it, he does! The bigger question is, though: Will he also lead the Thunder to a championship? That is, perhaps, even more important than the MVP award.