NEW YORK — The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant will earn another ring and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant will seize the MVP award away from LeBron James.
Those are among the opinions of NBA general managers who voted in the ninth annual NBA.com GM survey, which was released Wednesday. Los Angeles was picked by 63 percent of the respondents to repeat as champions, with 33 percent of the vote going to James and the new-look Miami Heat.
Durant, the MVP of the U.S. victory in the world basketball championship, received 67 percent of the MVP vote. James, the two-time MVP, was picked by only 4 percent.
Top pick John Wall was the overwhelming favorite for Rookie of the Year, claiming 68 percent.
The GMs picked Boston — a unanimous choice in the Atlantic — Chicago, Miami, the Lakers, Dallas and Oklahoma City as division champions.