Oklahoma City Thunder scoring machine Kevin Durant dethroned LeBron ‘King James’ and won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
Durant picked up 119 of 125 first-place votes to clinch his first MVP crown, denying Miami Heat superstar James a third straight title.
James finished in second place ahead of Clippers forward Blake Griffin, Bulls star Joakim Noah and Houston’s James Harden.
Star man: Kevin Durant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after a stellar season
Making the difference: Durant led the Thunder to the No 2 seed in the Western Conference and regularly scored ‘triple doubles’
Durant has been in fine form for the Thunder this year and earlier collected his fourth scoring title in five seasons. The 25-year-old averaged 32 points per game during the regular-season with 7.4 rebounds and five assists.
The Thunder forward enjoyed two 50-point games during the campaign and reached over 40 points on 14 occasions. He also led the league in free throws made with 703.
Durant’s consistency was highlighted when he went on a 41-game streak between January and April where he scored 25 or more points. It was the third longest streak of it’s kind in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain (80) and Oscar Robertson (46).
Big moment: Kevin Durant was presented with the Most Valuable Player award at a conference in Oklahoma on Tuesday
Emotional: The Thunder forward paid tribute to his mother Wanda Pratt and called her ‘the real MVP’
Hug: Durant went to embrace his mom after he told how they struggled in his childhood and how she would regularly go without in order to make sure that her sons had enough food
An emotional Durant paid tribute to his mother at a presentation ceremony on Tuesday.
He said: ‘You made us believe, you kept us off the streets, put clothes on our backs, put food on the table. You the real MVP.
‘Everything in my life, I had to take it,’ Durant added. ‘They’re not going to give it to you out of sympathy. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This was another case, if I wanted to win the MVP, I had to go take it. I felt that this was the year I did that.’
One and two: Durant beat Miami Heat’s LeBron James to the award, who won it the last two years and four of the last five
James accepted that Durant deserved the MVP award, saying: ‘Much respect to him and he deserves it. He had a big-time MVP season.’
Durant is currently leading Oklahoma City’s quest to win the NBA title.
The Thunder are currently 1-0 behind against the Los Angeles Clippers in their Western Conference semi-final series having beaten the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
Oklahoma City reached the NBA finals in 2012 but were beaten in five games by the Miami Heat.
