NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Durant's MVP Signals Passing of the Torch in West

Get used to seeing Kevin Durant hoist that sweet, see-through MVP trophy over his head.

The Durantula dropped 36 points in Sunday's All-Star Game, taking home the MVP in just his third appearance in the game. He was clearly gunning for the award, launching an absurd 25 shots. Perhaps even more ridiculous is the fact that he drained 14 of them.

It was Durant's second straight All-Star start, and his second straight year with at least 34 points. He would have taken home the MVP last year, but Kobe Bryant upstaged him by putting up 37.

Kobe made headlines again in this year's edition, passing Michael Jordan as the ASG's all-time leading scorer. But in the end, Durant stole the show.

Kobe has been the NBA's most unapologetic gunner for over a decade, but he conceded to Durant on Sunday, taking eight fewer shots than the Thunder phenom.

Last season, when asked about passing the torch to the league's younger stars, Kobe didn't budge. "I ain't passing s--t," he said without hesitation.

On Sunday, Durant didn't ask him to pass the torch—he went out and snatched it from the Mamba's jaws. He fired shot after shot, each one a reminder that he is not only the best pure scorer in the league, but the new man in charge out West.

While the ASG as often viewed as little more than a defense-be-damned dunk fest, it's also a battle between the game's biggest egos. With every NBA alpha-dog packed onto one court, there's a subtle but undeniable struggle for the individual throne.

And with Durant's performance on Sunday, he officially replaced Kobe as the king of the Western Conference.