Kevin Durant’s MVP Season Will go for Naught

Listen to this stat: Kevin Durant leads the in scoring yet he doesn’t lead his team in field goal attempts.

Now think about that. Insanely efficient right? That’s been Kevin Durant’s season this year; undoubtedly an MVP-like campaign. He’s shooting 50.5% from the field, 41% from three and 90.8% from the charity stripe. The guy is scoring the basketball with such versatility and such proficiency that he may become only the sixth player to join the exclusive 50-40-90 percentage club. Unfortunately for Durant, these efficient numbers won’t be able to garner him this year’s MVP, not when LeBron James is still in his prime.

If James stays healthy he should easily win the MVP for the next 3 or 4 years, barring some other weird non-injury related scenario like LeBron leaving to go play in the NFL. That’s where Durant will be denied his chance to make the NBA his. He’s clearly the second best player in the league, but he’s a distant second to LeBron.

The only way Durant can match LeBron this year is if he beats him. Of course, both of these guys would presumably take collective gold over individual glory, but both of them deserve the MVP. It’s just that LeBron’s athleticism and talent enable him to do things that no one else would even attempt such as guarding both a point guard and a center in the same game. Put it like this, Kevin Durant is the best player on the planet and LeBron James is the best player in the universe.

An interesting way to look at this is how will Durant react this time if the Heat and Thunder meet in the NBA Finals. As a whole, the Thunder probably have more talent, but the trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron and Dwyane Wade are unstoppable. Last time the Heat showed their experience, flexing their muscle in five games versus a less experienced Oklahoma City. Maybe LeBron’s dominance will inspire Durant and push him to another level. But this situation, both this season and for the next few years, is similar to the way Michael Jordan stood in Patrick Ewing’s way in the 90s. The only time Ewing ever made the Finals during Jordan’s prime years was when M.J. took a hiatus to play baseball.

I just hope Durant can get at least one while LeBron’s on top, right now it looks unlikely.

The Mecca of Basketball

Madison Square Garden has widely been considered one of the best places to watch a sporting event, or any event for that matter. One of its nickname is the “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” a name quite fitting when you enter its storied confines. The teams that play there don’t always have the most success, but plenty of memorable moments in the NBA and NHL have occurred there. I stepped foot into the Mecca of Basketball on Saturday for a Knicks, Raptors game and it fostered some great memories for me.

The Art of a Throwback NBA Jersey

One of the most sought after pieces of sports apparel is a throwback NBA jersey. There is something about the nostalgia of an exciting player and a unique jersey style that intrigues people from every generation. Very often when you walk the beach or you walk the town in the summer time, you’ll see teenagers wearing NBA jerseys from the ’70s or 20 year olds wearing jerseys in the ’90s, a decade they were only children for. Here I’ll breakdown some of the common throwback jerseys and compare and contrast a jersey from each decade.

(2000s)-While the New Orleans Hornets jersey is a few years old, this is a pretty good depiction of the modern NBA jersey. New Orleans brings a few unique colors together like teal, purple and yellow to combine a flashy jersey. The Bulls on the other hand haven’t really diverted from their standard 90s jerseys.

(2000s College)- It’s much harder to get your hands on a throwback college jersey than a NBA jersey. UNC and UCLA represent some of the most classic and desired college jerseys ever. These jerseys were worn by NBA playrs Ty Lawson (5) and Jrue Holiday (21)

(All Star Jersey-1995)- This All-Star jersey is one of the most unique and interesting jerseys ever created. The game was played in Phoenix and the jersey represent the city well. This is an ABSOLUTE must have for throwback jersey lovers.

(1990s)- The Knicks didn’t change much from their earlier days, continuing with the vibrant orange color as an emphasis on “New York.” Utah, on the other hand added some flash to their classic jersey style, but incorporating new colors in the ball that finishes of the “J.”

(1980s)- For the Lakers, not much has changed in the jerseys over the years, though the lettering is a little different now a days. But for Hawks these are one of their most classic and sought-after jerseys ever. They bring a cool, but not over-the-top style that makes jersey lovers salivate.

(1970s)- This Bill Walton, Portland Trailblazers jerseys is one of the few 1970s jerseys that people clamor over. In that era, style still wasn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind, but Portland’s jersey with the writing down the side were quite exciting.