LeBron James’ reign as NBA Most Valuable Player is over, for the moment.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named league MVP on Tuesday, snapping James’ two-year streak. Durant is the first player other than James or Derrick Rose to win the award since 2008. Rose won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy in 2010-11, with James winning the other four.
Durant received 119 out of a possible 125 first-place votes, plus six second-place votes. James was first on six ballots and second on 118.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin was the only other player to receive a first- or second-place vote. He was second — ahead of James — on one ballot.
Joakim Noah and James Harden rounded out the top five. Goran Dragic, who helped lead the surprise Phoenix Suns within a game of the playoffs, received more votes than Carmelo Anthony, who finished third in the voting last year and was the only player other than James to receive a first-place vote in 2013. Dragic received three fifth-place votes, while Anthony received a fourth and a fifth.
Durant captured his fourth scoring title by averaging a career-high 32.0 points per game this season. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while leading OKC to the second-best record in the NBA.
