NBA MVP Trophy Honors Jordan, Awards Celebrate West, Chamberlain, Havlicek

By Barry Janoff

Jordan TrophyDecember 13, 2022: One season after celebrating its 75th anniversary, the NBA continues to honor its players and history by expanding, rebranding and redesigning its annual awards.

The league today unveiled six newly designed trophies named after NBA legends — which will be presented to the end-of-season Kia Performance Award winners — including Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, Michael Jordan, George Mikan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Jerry West.

The most high-profile is the renamed Michael Jordan MVP Trophy, which will be presented to the regular-season league MVP beginning this season.

Jordan himself won the regular season MVP — previously named to honor the NBA’s first commissioner, Maurice Podoloff — five times.

In addition, the NBA introduced the Jerry West Trophy, a new Kia Performance Award to be presented beginning at the end of the 2022-23 season, to the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
 
Voted on by a media panel based on nominations from NBA head coaches, the award will “honor the NBA player who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch.”

Also unveiled today:

The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, which will be awarded to the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Wilt Chamberlain Trophy to the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year

John Havlicek to the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year

George Mikan to the Kia NBA Most Improved Player of the Year
 
“Our new collection of trophies celebrates some of the greatest and most impactful players in the history of the NBA,” commissioner Adam Silver said via the league.

“As we recognize the league’s top performers each season, we also pay tribute to the legends who embody these prestigious awards.”

The NBA last week unveiled several redesigned trophies for its end of season awards as well as a new one, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which will be awarded to the team with the league’s best regular-season record after 82 games.

Podoloff, who was commissioner from 1949-63, passed away in 1985.

Jerry West TrophyLast season, the NBA the began to award the Larry Bird Trophy to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP,  the  "Magic" Johnson Trophy to the Western Conference Finals MVP, the Bob Cousy Trophy to the Eastern Conference championship team and the Oscar Robertson Western Conference champ.

Also last season, the league unveiled six other trophies, one for each of the league’s division winners, and each named after an NBA legend and African-American pioneer: Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Chuck Cooper, Wayne Embry, Sam Jones, Earl Lloyd and Willis Reed.

The NBA pulled no punches in designing the Jordan trophy. Among other distinctions, the trophy stands 23.6 inches tall and weighs 23.6 pounds, representing Jordan’s jersey number (23) and number of NBA championships (6); and its five-sided base represents Jordan’s five league MVPs.

In addition to his five regular season MVP awards, Hall of Famer Jordan earned six NBA titles, six NBA Finals MVP Awards, 11 All-NBA Team selections, 14 NBA All-Star selections, three NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards, ten scoring titles, an NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, an NBA Rookie of the Year Award and selections to the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

Iconic Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn dubbed West “Mr. Clutch” for his extraordinary shooting at the end of close games.

West is a member of the Hall of Fame, a NBA champion, 14-time NBA All-Star, NBA Finals MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP, 12-time All-NBA Team selection and a member of the 35th, 50th and 75th NBA Anniversary Teams. 

He also is the image in the NBA logo.
 
“There are few greater thrills as a basketball player than coming through for your teammates and fans when they need it most,” West, currently a special advisor to the Los Angeles Clippers, said via the league. “This new trophy will be awarded to the player who best delivers in those moments.”

Olajuwon’s Hall of Fame career includes a two-time NBA champion, 12-time NBA All-Star, league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 12-time All-NBA Team selection, two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. Olajuwon is the league’s all-time leader in blocked shots and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. 

“I am honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the league’s best defensive player each year,” said Olajuwon via the NBA.

“Great basketball teams are defined by their ability to defend, with every great team connected by an elite defensive anchor.”

The NBA said Chamberlain’s 1959-60 season is unmatched for an NBA rookie.

Olajuwon TrophyThe Hall of Famer averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds in 46.4 minutes per game for the Philadelphia Warriors, winning both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

His career highlights include two NBA championships, 13 NBA All-Star selections, four league MVPs, ten All-NBA Team selections, an NBA Finals MVP and inclusion on the league’s 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. 

“We are humbled and thankful that the NBA has immortalized Wilt’s greatness with this honor,” Wilt’s sister Barbara Chamberlain Lewis and the Chamberlain family said via the league.

“Wilt rewrote nearly every NBA record throughout his illustrious career, which tipped off with an incredible rookie season that redefined what was possible and set a ceiling as high as he stood for all rookies who have followed.”

Havlicek’s career highlights include eight NBA championships, 13 NBA All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA Team selections, an NBA Finals MVP, eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections and inclusion on the league’s 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. 

“We are honored that the NBA recognized John’s career achievements with this award,” Beth Havlicek, John’s wife, and the Havlicek family, said via the NBA.

“John defined what it means to be the ultimate sixth man, with his leadership and stellar play serving as the utmost example of effectively starring in a role for the betterment of the team.”
 
Mikan’s Hall of Fame career included five NBA championships in seven seasons, four NBA All-Star selections, an NBA All-Star Game MVP, six selections to the All-NBA Team and inclusion on the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

“We are grateful that the NBA has recognized George’s career achievements with this honor,” his son Mike and the Mikan family said via the league.

“George is one of the best NBA players ever, but perhaps his greatest legacy is the one he has passed down to others through his legendary ‘Mikan Drill,’ providing generations of basketball players around the world with the tools to improve their game.”

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