Durant is currently the reigning MVP after an impressive season last year…
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant has insisted that the media “gets too much power” in relation to voting for the regular season NBA MVP.
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Durant wants the players to be included in the voting process and wants the power to shift to them in relation to all the awards including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved and Sixth Man.
The Thunder star made his comments during his NBA All-Star media session, ahead of taking part in the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.
“I think (the) media gets too much power to vote on stuff like that. Quite frankly I don’t think you really know a lot about as much we know about it. So we play against these guys every single night, we battle against these guys, we know what they say on the court, we know how they handle their teammates, we know how they approach the game, and our votes should count,” he said, according to ESPN.
“Our opinions should count. I don’t think you guys know as much we do, and I don’t see why you have more power than we do.”
The 26-year-old won his first MVP award last year after totalling 1,232 points in voting, including 119 first-place votes. The award is handed out to the player who receives the most points from a 124-member panel consisting of sports writers and broadcasters from around the United States and Canada.
Players are awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for each third-place vote, three for fourth-place and one for each fifth-place vote.
Durant added that he felt as though the “sexier names” often won awards when others were more deserving, and so he wants the players who also have the benefit of seeing scouting reports, being in team meetings and watching film on certain players to have their say in the voting process.
His comments can either be interpreted as merely truthful or arguably slightly insulting, but a situation where both the players and media’s votes are taken into account could be a successful system moving forward.
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