People still get weirdly heated when you bring up the 2017 NBA Finals MVP. It wasn't just a trophy. It was a statement, a polarizing moment in basketball history, and honestly, the culmination of a "villain arc" that started a year prior when Kevin Durant decided to leave Oklahoma City. When the buzzer sounded in Game 5 and Adam Silver handed that trophy over, it felt like the most predictable yet controversial outcome in the modern era of the league.
KD won it. Obviously.
But the way he won it—and the sheer statistical dominance he displayed—often gets buried under the "superteam" narrative. We focus so much on the fact that the Golden State Warriors were "unfair" that we forget just how high the level of play actually was during those five games. It wasn't just about a stacked roster; it was about a specific individual reaching a peak of efficiency that we rarely see in professional sports.
The Numbers Behind the 2017 NBA Finals MVP
If you look at the raw data, it's actually kind of terrifying. Kevin Durant didn't just lead the team in scoring; he basically broke the math of the game for a week. He averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. That’s elite, sure, but the efficiency is what keeps analysts up at night. He shot 55.6% from the field, 47.4% from three, and 92.7% from the free-throw line.
That is a 50-40-90 performance on the biggest stage possible. Against LeBron James.
Think about that for a second. Most guys are struggling to keep their legs under them by June. Durant was out there playing like he was in a localized gym with no defenders. Except the defenders were guys like Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, and occasionally LeBron himself. It didn't matter. He was a 7-foot sniper who could get to the rim whenever he wanted.
Stephen Curry was also incredible, let’s be real. He averaged nearly a triple-double (26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.4 assists). In almost any other year, Steph is the 2017 NBA Finals MVP. But the voters—and anyone watching with an unbiased eye—couldn't ignore that Durant was the "closer." Whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers made a run, KD would hit a contested pull-up three that just sucked the air out of Quicken Loans Arena.
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The most iconic moment? Game 3. You know the one.
Cleveland was up by two with about 45 seconds left. Durant brings the ball up, doesn't even look for a screen, and just rises up over LeBron’s outstretched hand. Splash. Silence in the building. That single shot essentially decided the series and locked up the MVP honors for him. It was a "passing of the torch" moment that people still refuse to acknowledge because of the circumstances of his free agency.
Why the "Superteam" Narrative Clouds the Achievement
There is a huge segment of NBA fans who will tell you that Durant’s 2017 NBA Finals MVP doesn't "count" the same way Dirk Nowitzki’s 2011 trophy does. The logic is simple: he joined a 73-win team. If you add one of the three best players in the world to a team that was already the best regular-season squad ever, of course he’s going to have open lanes.
There's some truth there.
Spacing matters. When defenders have to stay glued to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson at the perimeter, the middle of the floor opens up. Tyronn Lue, the Cavs' coach at the time, famously admitted that their defensive priority was stopping Steph. They were willing to let KD play one-on-one if it meant not letting the Warriors get into their "avalanche" rhythm of transition threes.
Durant took advantage. He didn't just take what was given; he exploited every single mismatch. He played with a chip on his shoulder that suggested he knew exactly what people were saying on Twitter. He wanted to prove that even on a team of stars, he was the apex predator.
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Critics argue that the pressure wasn't the same. They say that if KD misses a shot, the Warriors still have a chance to win. If LeBron misses a shot, the Cavs are done. That’s a fair point regarding the weight of the crown, but it doesn't change the execution. You still have to put the ball in the hoop. You still have to defend LeBron James on the other end, which Durant did remarkably well for large stretches of that series.
Comparing KD to LeBron in 2017
LeBron James was actually insane in the 2017 Finals. He became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals (33.6 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 10.0 APG). Normally, that’s an automatic MVP, even in a losing effort (well, maybe not since Jerry West in '69, but you get the point).
But Durant was more efficient.
The 2017 NBA Finals MVP went to Durant because he was the difference-maker in the clutch. While LeBron was doing everything—literally everything—to keep Cleveland afloat, Durant was the surgical strike that ended them. The gap in their True Shooting percentage was notable. Durant was at a ridiculous .698 TS%, while LeBron was at .630%. Both are high, but Durant’s efficiency was historically unprecedented for a high-volume scorer in the Finals.
The Lasting Impact on the Warriors Dynasty
Before KD arrived, the Warriors were a jump-shooting team that could occasionally be bullied. The 2016 Finals showed that if you got physical with Steph and Klay, you could rattle them. Durant changed the math. He gave them an "ISO" option that functioned as a biological cheat code.
Winning the 2017 NBA Finals MVP validated the move for Durant, at least internally. He got the ring. He got the individual hardware. It proved he could fit into a complex system without losing his identity as a scorer.
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However, it also sowed the seeds of the "Durant vs. Curry" debate that eventually helped fracture the locker room years later. When the media spends three years asking "Whose team is it?", things get messy. Even though Steph was the engine, KD was the weapon. That distinction is subtle, but in the world of NBA egos, it’s a chasm.
The 2017 Finals were arguably the highest level of basketball ever played. The Cavs were actually better than the 2016 championship team, which is the crazy part. They were an offensive juggernaut. But the Warriors with Durant were a Tier 0 entity. They went 16-1 in the playoffs that year. That one loss was a game where the Cavs had to hit 24 threes just to keep pace.
Actionable Takeaways for Basketball Students
If you’re a coach or a player looking back at the 2017 NBA Finals MVP performance, there are three things to study:
- Shot Selection Under Pressure: Notice how Durant rarely forced shots in the first half. He let the game come to him, then asserted himself in the third and fourth quarters.
- Defensive Versatility: KD’s rim protection in 2017 was at its peak. He used his length to alter shots, which is why he was able to stay on the floor and remain effective even when his shot wasn't falling (which was rare).
- The Power of Spacing: For students of the game, watch how Durant’s presence shifted the Cavs' "gravity." Even when he didn't have the ball, he was pulling defenders away from the paint.
To truly understand the 2017 NBA Finals MVP, you have to watch the full games, not just the highlights. Watch the possessions where KD doesn't touch the ball but his mere presence creates a layup for Draymond Green. Watch the way he handled the post-game interviews, clearly relieved but also aware that the basketball world wasn't ready to forgive him for the "Easy Way" narrative.
Whether you love him or hate him, that 2017 run was a masterpiece of scoring. It remains the gold standard for how a superstar can integrate into an elite system and somehow make it even better. Don't let the "superteam" talk distract you from the fact that you were watching one of the greatest individual peaks in the history of the sport.