NBA Renames MVP Trophy after Michael Jordan
Adam Silver, Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, announced today that the NBA would be renaming several year-end awards. The most notable change was the renaming of the Most Valuable Player trophy, the award for the top overall player in the league.
The Michael Jordan Trophy
The MVP trophy will not only be renamed after Michael Jordan, but it will also be redesigned in his likeness. The new trophy will be 23.6 inches tall and weigh 23.6 ounces. These numbers represent his retired jersey number (23) and the number of NBA championships he won (6). The bust of MJ will also stand on a platform that is angled at 15 degrees, signifying the number of seasons his Airness played in the National Basketball Association.
NBA renames MVP Trophy after Michael Jordan; unveils Clutch Player of the Year https://t.co/x3Murek178
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 13, 2022
History of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The Most Valuable Award was first presented after the 1955-56 season and was given to the most outstanding overall player during the regular season. Surprisingly, Micheal Jordan does not hold the record for most MVP awards in a career. That record belongs to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who collected six MVPs in his 21 NBA seasons. (MJ comes in second with five MVPs.) When Kareem retired in 1989 he was the NBAs all-time leading scorer, a mark that still stands to this day, although LeBron James passes him by the end of the 2022-23 season.
Throughout the history of the NBA, there has only been one player unanimously named MVP in a season. That happened in the 2015-16 season when Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry took home the hardware unopposed. Twice a player has come one vote short of unanimous. That happened when Shaquille O’Neil and LeBron James won the awards during the 1999-00 and 2012-13 seasons, respectively.
NBA MVP Candidates This Season
This season, the race for MVP looks to be a three dog race. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum are leading the race right now with +275 odds. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounds out the threesome at +300 odds to take home the inaugural Michael Jordan Trophy.
Other Trophies Renamed
In addition to the MVP trophy being renamed after Michael Jordan, Silver and the NBA announced that several other regular season trophies would get rebranded as well.
The most clutch player in the regular season will now take home the Jerry West Trophy, a new award named after the iconic Lakers legend. West’s nickname while playing was “Mr. Clutch”. West is also referred to as “The Logo” because the NBA logo is a picture of his silhouette.
The NBA Rookie of the Year will now take home the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. Wilt “The Stilt” claimed Rookie of the Year honors during the 1959-60 season when he averaged a mind-blowing 37 points and 27 rebounds per game as a rookie.
The Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA this season will be handed the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. Hakeem “The Dream” is the NBA all-time leader in blocked shots with 3,830. He has nearly 600 more blocks than the second player on the all-time list, Dikembe Mutombo. Hakeem is also in the top ten all-time in steals, and he’s the only big man on the steals list.
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Rounding out the list of trophy renames is the John Havlicek Trophy for Sixth Man of the Year, and the George Mikan Trophy for Most Improved Player of the Year.
It has long been rumored that the NBA would rename their trophies after legendary players eventually. In 2020, after Kobe Bryant’s untimely death in a helicopter crash, the NBA renamed the All-Star Game MVP Award the Kobe Bryant Trophy. The NBA also has a social justice award that is named After Kareem Abdul Jabbar. In 2009, the NBA renamed the Finals MVP trophy after Bill Russell, who holds the all-time record with 11 NBA titles.