Though Team Giannis led for most of the first three quarters, the 2019 All-Star Game became a tight contest late. With just under six minutes left in the game, Team LeBron had a two-point lead and was looking to create some breathing room. The Warriors’ Kevin Durant answered the call to help and hit back-to-back three-pointers, including one from 28-feet. His late effort and 31-point performance earned him the 2019 All-Star Game MVP Award.
This was Durant’s tenth All-Star game in his 12 seasons in the league, and the second time he was named MVP of the event. This also marked the first time a Warrior was awarded the title in 52 years; the last to win it was Rick Barry in 1967.
Along with Barry, Durant became one of four basketball legends as the only Warriors to win the honor in the franchise’s history including: Barry, Paul Arizin, and Wilt Chamberlin. These three players Durant joined as All-Star Game MVPs were voted as some of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 to honor the NBA’s 50th Anniversary, and are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Arizin played his entire NBA career with the Philadelphia Warriors (1950-1962), which included two seasons he sat-out to serve in the Marines. He was awarded Rookie of the Year in 1950 and a 10-time All-Star. Arizin received the MVP honor when he tied for a game-high 26 points in the 1952 All-Star Game. He chose to retire in 1962 when the franchise moved to San Francisco even after averaging 21.9 points per game the season before.
A 13-time All-Star, Chamberlain won the All-Star Game MVP award just one time: 1960, the same year he was also awarded the Rookie of the Year and NBA’s Most Valuable Player. In 30 minutes in that game, Chamberlain notched 23 points and 25 rebounds. He played six seasons with the Warriors, from 1959-1965. To this day, Chamberlain still holds multiple records in scoring, rebounding, and durability, including the only 100-point game in NBA history.
Barry was a perennial All-Star in his eight seasons with the Warriors franchise (1965-1967, 1972-1978). He won the All-Star Game MVP honor in 1967 when he stunned the Eastern Conference team by scoring 38 points in 34 minutes. Besides being in the top-10 of a multitude of all-time statistics for the Warriors, Barry owns the distinction of being the only player in history to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring in an individual season.
Durant already has a number of highlights in his NBA career including being two-time NBA Champion and two-time Finals MVP. Winning the All-Star Game MVP award, though, places him with elite company in the Warriors record books.