NBA unveils new design of the Kobe Brant All-Star Game MVP Trophy
Ahead of the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Adam Silver honored the late great Kobe Bryant by naming the All-Star Game Trophy the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award. Today, they took it a step further.
NBA’s new Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy
The league announced the revamped designs of seven trophies handed out during this year's All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. What caught most peoples' attention is the MVP trophy, representing the all-time great Lakers icon.
According to NBA, the trophy holds a four-level design along with a base, each of which represents a certain part of Bryant's 20-year basketball run:
- Base Dimension: The eight-sided base represents the eight decades of NBA All-Star Games and is a nod to Bryant’s No. 8 jersey number. The 18 stars around the trophy represent his 18 All-Star selections. The base height of 2 inches is a nod to Bryant’s 2002 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
- Level 1: The 24 stars represent each All-Star in the game and Bryant’s No. 24 jersey number. The 7-inch height is a nod to Bryant’s 2007 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
- Level 2: The 10 stars represent the All-Star Game starters and Bryant’s USA Basketball No. 10 jersey. The 9-inch height is a nod to Bryant’s 2009 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
- Level 3: The five stars represent the unity of an NBA team and Bryant’s five NBA championships. The 11-inch height is a nod to his 2011 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
- Level 4: A single star represents the star of stars and Bryant winning The Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the 2007-08 Kia NBA MVP. The 2-inch height of the final star represents Bryant’s two Bill Russell Trophies as the NBA Finals MVP (2009-2010).
The story behind the design
Designed in partnership with artist Victor Solomon, new trophy designs represent "the continued growth and evolution of our game, incorporating deep storytelling, reimagining our previous All-Star trophies in a modern aesthetic, and now serve as the new standards of excellence that future generations of All-Stars will strive to reach each year.”
Solomon, the artist behind the “Literally Balling” project, said he's especially proud of the Kobe Bryant trophy design. Coming up with one worthy of representing an individual of such stature was a challenge. “It needed to be as innovative and as groundbreaking as Kobe was as a player,” Solomon says.
Players usually treat the All-Star game as a night off. Being the first player to win this trophy is going to mean a lot to them. We actually may have to tune in to the All-Star game this year.
