GM Survey: Kevin Durant Selected Over Kobe Bryant To Take Final Shot

In the annual survey taken by NBA general managers, LeBron James and the Miami Heat did fairly well in the majority of the categories that they were involved. Gregg Popovich won nearly every coaching category and the Lakers lost a lot of the categories they won last season.

One category in particular is always a hot button topic: what player would you want taking the final shot? For years, Kobe Bryant dominated this category and won nearly 80 percent of the vote in the 2010-11 season. However, the following year Kevin Durant closed the gap then surpassed Bryant last season.

This year, it’s Durant over Bryant again as the NBA’s general managers would trust the NBA’s four-time scoring champion to take the final shot of the game over anyone else in the NBA. Here’s the tally.

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City — 39.3%
2. Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers — 32.1%
3. Carmelo Anthony, New York; LeBron James, Miami — 7.1%
Also receiving votes: Ray Allen, Miami; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio; Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas; Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers

The gap between Bryant and the field is much larger than the gap between Durant and Bryant, and the young star has earned the right to top this list. Bryant still earning 32 percent of the vote is a testament to his career and how he’s still been able to play at a high level at the age of 34 (now 35).

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