Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant finally has the NBA championship that eluded him for nine seasons and a MVP award to go with it.

After spurning the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors as a free agent last off-season, Durant capped a dominant NBA Finals performance with 39 points to lead Golden State to a 129-120 victory over defending champions the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday and close out the best-of-seven series in five games.

Durant was 14 of 20 from the floor in the home win and added seven rebounds and five assists, finishing the series with a five-game average of 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

The 2014 NBA MVP was the difference as the Warriors claimed their second title in three seasons and fifth overall – ending the playoffs with a 16-1 record.

Cavaliers forward LeBron James, playing in his seventh straight NBA Finals, scored a game-high 41 points and averaged a triple-double in the Finals. 

The first player Durant embraced following the victory was James, who gave a valiant effort himself and was matched up with the Warriors forward for most of the series. 

Durant said he was "anxious and jittery" before Monday's game, but "prevailed" as he scored more than 30 points in each of the five games.