In the season's finale, Kevin Durant scored a silky 31 points on 12 of 18 shooting (with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks - one trick scoring pony?) to lead the Oklahoma City School For Young Mutants to an improbable 50 win season, a playoff date with the world champion Lakers this weekend, and the NBA scoring title at 30.1 ppg.
At 21 years of age.
Kevin Durant is the youngest scoring champion in NBA history.
He takes that distinction from Max Zaslofsky, notable Jewish sports hero, who averaged 20.6 ppg in 1948 at the comparatively wizened age of 23.
When will the Jewish people stop putting all of their eggs in the athletics basket?
Zaslofsky played a form of proto-basketball, more recognizable to James Naismith and his peach basket than our game today. Players shot two hand set shots, the Lakers were in Minnesota, he had a career 34% field goal percentage (considered solid at the time), the players were alabaster-hued, and they often smoked unfiltered cigarrettes during the jump ball.
Zaslofsky stood a mighty 6-2 at combo guard/forward. The dominant player of that era was 6-9 giant George Mikan, who moved like a Sleestak filled with barbiturates.
The history only highlights the fact that over sixty plus years, this record went unchallenged, from one and done (Carmelo) to straight from high school to pro (Kobe, Moses, Howard, Garnett, Lebron) by some of the most dominant players in the game.
We're witnessing history, the blossoming of one of The Greats.
Just imagine if he could bench 185?