Jeremiah Griffith 
Say goodbye to the classic Jerry West MVP trophy the NBA community is accustomed to. Now there’s have something new – The Michael Jordan Trophy.
The honor is named after Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players in NBA history who won the MVP award five times during his career. The trophy depicts a player emerging from a rock, reaching upward to hold a crystal ball.
Mark Smith, a retired Nike executive and a Jordan Brand designer collaborated with Jordan to design the trophy, according to nba.com. The trophy weighs 23.6 pounds and is 23.6 inches tall, an allusion to Jordan’s jersey number (23) and the number of NBA championships he has won (6).
Although the trophy is filled with small details that refer to the player’s accomplishments, it’s not supposed to bear any resemblance to Jordan, per his request.
The NBA says the MVP statuette becomes more polished from top to bottom, representing a player’s development from the time he joins the league to the moment he becomes worthy of the prize.
Steve Kerr, former Chicago Bulls teammate of Jordan and current Golden State Warriors head coach, agreed with Jordan being picked for the honor. “This is a guy who went to the Finals six times, won all six times, and won Finals MVP all six times,” Kerr said. “He was the obvious choice if you were going to name the trophy after someone.”
The trophy doesn’t show any iconic Jordan moment or his signature Jumpman logo. The Michael Jordan Trophy is a symbol of excellence and is supposed to celebrate the best players in the league and recognize their contributions to the game.
By Jeremiah Griffith, Senior, Noble Academy
Instagram: jg_zero23
True Star Media’s content is made possible thanks to donors like you. To support the voice and perspective of youth, donate at elevate.truestarfoundation.org.
