A rebrand of NBA awards to honor legends Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, Michael Jordan, George Mikan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Jerry West was unveiled on Tuesday.
Following a path set in naming the All-Star Game MVP trophy after Kobe Bryant, the NBA revealed the league MVP trophy would be re-established as The Michael Jordan Trophy this season. Jordan won the MVP award five times and is a six-time NBA champion.
In a statement Tuesday, the NBA said its lineup of reimagined trophies “honors the league pioneers who helped define the standards of excellence that these trophies represent.”
“Our new collection of trophies celebrates some of the greatest and most impactful players in the history of the NBA,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “As we recognize the league’s top performers each season, we also pay tribute to the legends who embody these prestigious awards.”
The Jordan Trophy was designed with MJ in mind. It stands 23.6 inches tall and weighs 23.6 pounds; Jordan’s jersey number (23) and number of NBA championships (six) were the motivation. The five-sided base represents Jordan’s five league MVPs and the namesake badge is six-sided, pointing to his six NBA championships.
Jordan had a direct say in the design project with the NBA. Mark Smith, retired VP of Innovation Special Projects at Nike, Inc., and Jordan Brand designer, worked in creative partnership with Jordan.
“As we worked together on this project, it was very important to Michael that the figure not be a likeness of him, but instead that the recipient should be able to see himself in the award,” Smith said. “For Michael, naming the award in his honor was recognition enough.”
A new award, the NBA Clutch Player of the Year, will receive The Jerry West Trophy to be voted on by a media panel based on nominations from NBA head coaches. Nominations are to be based on which player “best comes through for his teammates in the clutch” the NBA said in a release.
The league established the following legends-driven trophies for annual awards starting with the 2022-23 season:
–Michael Jordan Trophy: MVP
–Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy: Defensive Player of the Year
–Wilt Chamberlain Trophy: Rookie Of the Year
–Jerry West Trophy: Clutch Player of Year
–John Havlicek Trophy: Sixth Man of Year
–George Mikan Trophy: Most Improved Player of the Year
–Field Level Media
