Kevin Durant: MVP win would ‘mean a lot’ for Oklahoma City forward

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant has been on a tear this NBA season and the league’s leading scorer and leader for the team with the best record heading into the All-Star Game is in position to dethrone LeBron James and win his first MVP award which he says would “mean a lot.”

"“It would mean a lot,” Durant said Friday. “I mean, you can’t never — MVP in this league — you can’t ever downgrade that. Whoever you are, no matter how many you’ve won, you can’t downgrade MVP.“Of course the ultimate prize is to win the championship. [But] as far as regular-season accolades, I think it’s right up there at the top. It would be cool, but it’s out of my control. The only thing I can control is how I play and everything else out there, that’ll fall in line.”"

James entered the season as the favorite to capture his fifth MVP award, but Durant took his game to another level in the new year when he averaged 35.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor In January.

His stellar play has continued in February where he is averaging 33.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists, including posting 40-plus points in two of his last three games as the Thunder enter the break having won 15 of 17 games in large part because of Durant.