Kevin Durant has anchored the Team USA men's basketball roster since the day he arrived despite the star presence all around him. With Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams and several other All-Star caliber players, it would seem impossible for any single player to truly rise above the others time and time again. But Kevin Durant has done just that in these Olympics and it showed more than ever in the gold medal game against Spain.
Durant had 30 points in the final game, the only player in Team USA history to ever exceed 30 points in a gold medal game. Only five players have done it at any point in Olympic play, Durant being the fifth, and it's just the latest dominant scoring display in a long string of them.
Durant anchored the U.S. team in scoring throughout these Olympic games with 18 points per game, just ahead of Anthony's average of 17.4. LeBron and Kevin Love both scored 12 points per game in London.
If anything, it would seem to make Durant an easy choice for MVP but the buzz on Twitter after the game was celebrating the play of Chris Paul down the stretch and the overall series of LeBron. If you're handing out the hardware to celebrate the best player on the court, one man has already made that clear.
For the latest on the 2012 Olympics, check out SB Nation's dedicated Olympics hub.