Many consider Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time and it seems that the NBA agrees. The league recently announced its decision to rebrand its annual MVP award– now calling it The Michael Jordan Trophy in a homage to the beloved sports star.
The National Basketball Association has renamed its most famous trophy after Michael Jordan, a legendary athlete who played 13 seasons for the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan, who played on the Chicago team from 1984–1993, 1995–1998, and 2001–2003, worked in collaboration to design a new trophy. Symbolizing both his career and a player’s journey to attain MVP status, the newly designed trophy shows a bronze figure, breaking out of a rock, and holding a crystal basketball triumphantly in the air. In another nod to Jordan’s work throughout his career, the trophy also becomes more polished as you scan upwards. This is representative of his dedication to craft and his rise from rookie to MVP.
A legendary namesake for the pinnacle of basketball performance.
The new Michael Jordan Trophy for the NBA #KiaMVP features a player breaking out of a rock as the patina of the trophy grows more burnished – “raw to refined” – signifying the MVP’s hard work achieving the honor. pic.twitter.com/NNsZkkDO9H
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2022
The trophy also has a few more easter eggs included in its design. For one thing, it stands at exactly 23.6 inches tall— references Jordan’s 23 jersey number and his 6 NBA championships.
The number 23 also pops up in the There are 23 points on the 1.23-inch diameter crystal basketball, and the base of the trophy has 5 sides, representing Jordan’s 5 MVP awards!
Paying homage through the details.
An in-depth look at the intricacies and stories featured within the design of the new Michael Jordan Trophy for the #KiaMVP. pic.twitter.com/WyOXgsKVxQ
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2022
Even the base of the trophy holds meaning–the angle of the base is precisely 15 degrees for the 15 NBA seasons Jordan played, while the badge on the base has 6 sides, representing Jordan’s titles.
The Michael Jordan Trophy 🐐
The NBA's MVP will now be awarded with The Michael Jordan Trophy, bearing the name of the greatest player of all time.
MJ was a 5x MVP in his career 🏆 pic.twitter.com/D16mCU2Uez
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 13, 2022
Jordan, who won the MVP award 5 times, is in the NBA hall of fame. He’s tied with Bill Russell for second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six. The NBA’s “Finals MVP” trophy is in homage to Russell and his 11 championship rings.
Jordan has an impressive career achieving a record number of awards. He’s won 6 NBA titles, 6 Finals MVPs, 11 All-NBA selections, 14 All-Star selections, 3 All-Star MVPs, 10 scoring titles, 1 Defensive Player of the Year award, and Rookie of the Year honor across 15 seasons.
Congratulations to Michael Jordan!
[Photo via: Getty Images]