New NBA Michael Jordan MVP trophy: Who designed it and what is it made of?

The National Basketball Association has given its most prestigious trophies a face lift and changed the awards’ names to honor players who have shaped the way the sport is played.

The most valued prize for basketball players, the MVP, is now named after Michael Jordan.

The trophy depicts a player emerging from a rock reaching upward to hold a crystal ball. The NBA says the MVP statuette becomes more polished from top to bottom, to represent the development of a player from the time he joins the league to the moment he becomes worthy of the prize.

Who designed the Michael Jordan MVP trophy?

The figure was designed by Mark Smith, a retired Nike executive who is also a Jordan Brand designer. He collaborated with the five-time MVP to create the new award, and the final product is filled with small details that refer to the player’s accomplishments.

MJ’s achievements in the details

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).

The figure is made of bronze, and the basketball is crystal. The award is named after Jordan, but the player depicted bears no resemblance to him.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Smith said this was absolutely by design, in accordance with MJ’s wishes.

READ ALSO:

The trophy’s designer, who has worked with the six-time NBA champion for two decades, said that Jordan felt that it was not necessary for the statuette to look like him, and that he wanted the winning players to see themselves in it, and not him.

“He was really keen on saying, ‘Look, what’s the name of the award? It’s Michael Jordan Most Valuable Player award for the NBA. That says it all. No matter what’s on top. That’s really it.”

The league renamed four other awards after other NBA trailblazers who are also Hall of Famers.