The NBA has renamed the Kia MVP trophy to The Michael Jordan Kia MVP.
The change of name also include a list of five others newly designed trophies named after NBA legends, which will be presented to the end-of-season Kia Performance Award winners.
The 24-inch tall bronze trophy commemorating Jordan features a player breaking out of a rock and reaching for a crystal basketball.
According to the NBA, the trophy’s reach “symbolizes an MVP’s endless chase for greatness.” Among the other features include Jordan’s jersey number and a number of championships, as well as a five-sided base that’s a nod to Jordan’s five league MVPs.
The Michael Jordan Trophy – Awarded to the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player
The league’s MVP will now be awarded The Michael Jordan Trophy, bearing the name of the NBA legend widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. During his career, Jordan was MVP five times. pic.twitter.com/cWvKXSeQxN
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 13, 2022
Mark Smith, Jordan Brand designer and retired vice president of innovation special projects at Nike, worked with Jordan on the design. In a statement, he said creating it was a “challenge of a lifetime.”
“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.”
Here’s a deeper look at the trophy.
