2013 NBA All-Star Game: Top Reasons Why Kevin Durant Should Have Won MVP

Kevin Durant should have been the 2013 NBA All-Star Game MVP. 

Don't get me wrong, Chris Paul's 20-point and 15-assist game was awesome. He became only the third player to achieve such a feat—joining legends Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas in the process. 

But, All-Star MVP? Nuh-huh. That accolade had a rightful owner all along, and his name is Kevin Durant.

Here are the top reasons Durant should have won All-Star MVP instead.

Assists

Everybody is going nuts over Chris Paul's assist numbers in this game. Yes, we understand only two other players in All-Star game history have gotten the same number of assists (and that both players turned out to be pretty good). But let's analyze this for a second, shall we?

How valuable is an assist in a game where there is virtually no defense?

The 2013 All-Star Game ended in a score of 143-138. For those of you counting at home, that's 281 points. To dwell even deeper, both teams hit 116 field goals combined—the West alone hit 62 of those field goals. 

How many of those field goals were dunks?

According to the ESPN play-by-play, a lot. Chris Paul  set up his teammates for six dunks—most of them alley-oops. 

It just seems that Chris Paul was simply throwing the ball up in the air and hoping somebody would catch it most of the time. 

Sheer Dominance

Let's talk about Durant now. 

KD went for 30 points, shooting 13-of-24 from the field and 3-of-8 from deep. That stat line alone is impressive—even if he has done that constantly this season. 

But the most impressive, actually, is how players were looking for Durant in the final moments of the game. Durant delivered just like he is used to doing in Oklahoma City, hitting a jumper with 2:30 left in the game to give the West a 10-point lead that practically sealed the deal. 

He would still find the time two minutes later to assist Blake Griffin and seal the East's coffin.

Down the line, who were the West players looking for (including Cliff Paul's long-lost twin brother)?

The answer is Mr. Kevin Durant.

Historically Significant

The players might have given up on the idea of the All-Star game as a historically relevant basketball contest, but the fans and media have not. To support that statement, let's look at the following stat from Elias Sports Bureau.

"

 

Via @eliassports Kevin Durant (24 pts) has 109 pts in his first 4 All-Star Games-- that's the most of anyone in their first 4 (LeBron: 97)

"

"— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) 18 de fevereiro de 2013"

That tweet, of course, was sent during the game. Durant would score six more points, raising his total points number to 115.

Does anybody have a calculator? That's 28.25 points per game in every All-Star game. That's good enough for the highest point-per-game average in the history of the All-Star game.

If that isn't MVP-worthy than jeez, what is?