NBA ALL STAR 2023
What is the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy made of and who designed it?
The NBA All-Star Game will wrap up with a trophy ceremony which will include the Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Trophy going to the game’s top performer.
One of the highlights of this year’s NBA All-Star weekend will be the trophy ceremony at the conclusion of the Team LeBron vs Team Giannis game later on Sunday night. The Kobe Bryant All-Star Most Valuable Player Award will be handed out to the game’s top performer.
The award was named after the Hall of Famer during the 2020 NBA season, just weeks after his sudden death, and the trophy was remodelled as a tribute to the fallen legend. Bryant, his oldest daughter Gianna and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash in in January of 2020.
The award has been named after the former Laker great for the last two years, but a brand new trophy was made in 2022 commemorating the number 24’s legacy.
New trophy designed by Boston native Solomon
Artist Victor Solomon helped remodel the All-Star MVP trophy that will make its second appearance on Sunday; Stephen Curry was first to get his hands on it last year. Solomon included details that highlight certain moments of Bryant’s career.
The octagonal base of the award pays tribute to Bryant’s number 8 which he wore to begin his career with the Lakers. There are three layers placed on top of the base which has 18 stars around it, commemorating the five-time NBA champion’s 18 All-Star selections. The base of the trophy is two inches high, for Bryant’s first All-Star MVP award he won in 2002.
The seven-inch top layer pays tribute to the 2007 All-Star MVP award Bryant won, and the 24 stars around the outside trophy represent the second number he wore with the Lakers.
Each layer contains a tribute to Bryant
The second layer of the trophy is nine inches high, giving a nod to his 2009 All-Star MVP, while 10 stars surround that level for the 10 starts Kobe had in the All-Star game and the number 10 he wore for Team USA.
The tallest layer is the third layer, which is 11 inches tall and honours his 2011 All-Star MVP. Around that layer are five stars for the five NBA Titles that Bryant won throughout his career.
The top of the trophy is two inches high, for the two NBA Finals MVP trophies he won with the Lakers.
The All-Star MVP Trophy isn’t the only trophy which received a facelift. There are seven trophies that will be handed out this All-Star weekend and each of them was given a new design in 2022, including those for the slam dunk contest, the three-point contest, the skills challenge and the celebrity game.
LeBron James has the chance to make history
LeBron James has the chance to make history in Salt Lake City on Sunday. If he is named MVP, he will tie the record currently held by Bob Pettit and Bryant, who have each won the award on four occasions. However, both shared the trophy once, which means James could become the first man in NBA All-Star history to be voted outright MVP in four different All-Star Games.