Wins Defensive Player of the Year
Leonard wins the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He helped the Spurs finish 3rd in defensive rating, with 99.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. Leonard joins Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only two players to ever win both a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Finals MVP award. Leonard:
It feels great. Growing up as a kid, you’re watching these players and you want to become who they are or get the accolades that they have. It just shows that hard work pays off.
Wins Finals MVP
Leonard wins the NBA Finals MVP in a landslide vote. For the series, he averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting. He also had the role of guarding LeBron James. Coach Popovich:
He’s a great learner and he’s super competitive, has a drive to be the best that’s really uncommon in our league. He walks the walk. I mean, he’s there early, he’s there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man.
Leonard:
Right now, it’s just surreal to me. I have a great group of guys behind me.
Wins NBA MVP Award
Durant wins his first NBA Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for the season, and led his team to a 59-23 record. During his acceptance speech, Durant thanks his mother:
You made us believe, you kept us off the streets, put clothes on our backs, put food on the table. You the real MVP.
Durant also adds:
Everything in my life, I had to take it. 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.
Wins NBA MVP award
James wins his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player award. James almost has a unanimous MVP selection, garnering 120 out of 121 first-place votes for the award. James averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season. He shot 56.5% from the floor and 40.6% from 3-point range. Heat president Pat Riley on James:
Over these 46 years, I’ve had an opportunity to see some great players — and all the ones I’ve observed, watched and have seen, they’ve always gotten better. In my humble opinion, I believe the man right here is the best of them all.