NBA Unveils Michael Jordan MVP Trophy, 5 Other New Trophies for Individual Awards

The National Basketball Association has unveiled six new trophies for individual awards, honoring great players of the future with the likenesses of great players from the past.

The trophies will be handed out at the end of each season to the winners of the Kia Performance Awards.

The most prestigious of the new trophies is named after arguably the league’s greatest player ever. The Michael Jordan Trophy will go to the NBA’s Most Valuable Player each season. The bronze trophy features a likeness of the Chicago Bulls great “breaking out of a rock to reach for the ultimate rock – a crystal basketball,” according to a press release from the NBA.

“From the bottom to its top, the patina of the trophy grows more burnished – ‘raw to refined’ – signifying the MVP’s hard work and progression from entering the league to achieving the NBA’s greatest individual honor. The trophy’s reach symbolizes an MVP’s endless chase for greatness.”

The trophy was designed by Mark Smith, retired VP of Innovation Special Projects at Nike, Inc., and Jordan Brand designer, in partnership with Jordan himself. It contains several other nods to Jordan:

The trophy weighs 23.6 pounds and is 23.6 inches high — figures that reference both Jordan’s iconic jersey number (23) and the number of NBA championships he won (6).
The five-sided base references Jordan’s five league MVP awards.
The nameplate on the front of the trophy has six sides, again referring to Jordan’s NBA championships.
The base is set at a 15-degree angle, referring to Jordan’s 15 seasons in the NBA.
The crystal basketball has 23 points, again referring to Jordan’s jersey number.
The crystal basketball is 1.23 inches in diameter, “in reference to the singularity of the MVP and Jordan’s standout career.”

The other five awards unveiled Tuesday follow the same template: a 15-inch crystal basketball net structure with a flat front face and a golden basketball player embedded in the middle. The name of the award and the recipient are etched near the bottom.

JERRY WEST TROPHY: Clutch Player of the Year

This is a new trophy starting with the 2022-23 season. It will be awarded to “the NBA player who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch.”

Los Angeles Lakers great Jerry West earned the nickname “Mr. Clutch” for his exceptional shooting at the end of close games. The figure inside the trophy is shooting a jump shot, “modeled after West’s perfect form.”

HAKEEM OLAJUWON TROPHY: Defensive Player of the Year

Hakeem Olajuwon was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He is still the league’s all-time leader in blocked shots and is ninth all-time in steals.

The figure inside this trophy is “in a classic defensive stance with one hand up and one down, knees bent and ready to move.”

WILT CHAMBERLAIN TROPHY: Rookie of the Year

Wilt Chamberlain had one of the best rookie seasons the NBA has ever seen in 1959-60 with the Philadelphia Warriors. He averaged 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds in 46.4 minutes per game that season, taking home both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

The figure inside Chamberlain’s namesake trophy is depicted palming two basketballs at once, a pose Chamberlain was known for.

JOHN HAVLICEK TROPHY: Sixth Man of the Year

John Havlicek came off the bench for the seven seasons of his NBA career, and he was named to the All-Star Team in four of those seasons. He won eight NBA championships, was named an All-Star 13 times, and won an NBA Finals MVP award.

The figure inside Havlicek’s namesake trophy is shooting a running jump shot, “symbolic of the boost provided by the player to his team.”

GEORGE MIKAN TROPHY: Most Improved Player of the Year

George Mikan became the NBA’s first dominant big man by practicing and mastering the fundamentals of the game. The layup and footwork exercise known as the “Mikan Drill” has been used for decades by players at all levels to improve their game.

The figure inside this trophy is seen executing a layup, just as Mikan would do in his drill.

The NBA’s new individual award trophies follow the introduction of redesigned playoff trophies in May 2022. Those trophies were named after such league legends as Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird.