Starting in the 2022-23 season, the NBA's MVP award will have a new look.
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the NBA revealed that the league's most prestigious individual honor has a reimagined trophy honoring the career of Michael Jordan.
Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Jordan earned 14 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA selections and six championships in his Hall of Fame career. He was named MVP five times, tying him with Bill Russell for the second-most all-time. The only player with more MVP trophies? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The NBA paid tribute to all of Jordan's accomplishments in some pretty sweet ways on the trophy.
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Five cool easter eggs on the NBA's new MVP trophy named after Michael Jordan
First, here's a look at the new Michael Jordan Trophy:
The Michael Jordan Trophy for the #KiaMVP features a “raw to refined” design that signifies the MVP’s hard work and progression to achieving the NBA’s greatest individual honor, with a reach toward a crystal basketball that symbolizes an endless chase for greatness. pic.twitter.com/RMBS4aJlT6
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2022
Fancy, right?
According to the NBA, the trophy is 23.6 inches tall and 23.6 inches wide, numbers that represent Jordan's jersey number (23) and number of championships (6). The base has five sides, which is a nod to his five MVP awards, while the nameplate has six sides, which represents his six championships with the Bulls.
Additionally, the base is angled at 15 degrees. The significance? It's a nod to Jordan's 15-year career.
Last but not least, the crystal ball consists of 23 points — another nod to his iconic jersey number — and measures 1.23 inches in diameter, which is said to be in reference to "the singularity of the MVP and Jordan’s standout career."
Why doesn't The Michael Jordan Trophy look like Michael Jordan?
That would be by design.
Mark Smith worked with Jordan to design the new trophy and said he wasn't interested in it looking like him.
“Sculpting Michael’s vision of his own pursuit of athletic achievement into this award has been the opportunity and challenge of a lifetime," Smith said. "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.
"For Michael, naming the award in his honor was recognition enough.”
