Is The NBA Planning To Rename MVP Trophy To Pay Homage To David Stern?

By Barry Janoff

Podoloff TrophyDecember 6, 2022: The NBA today unveiled redesigned trophies for its end of season awards as well as a new one, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the NBA’s first commissioner (1949-63), who passed away in 1985.

Beginning this season, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy will be awarded to the team with the league’s best regular-season record after 82 games.

There could be another renamed and redesigned trophy coming this season.

The NBA’s annual regular season Most Valuable Player trophy has for decades been named the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, making it unlikely the league would have two different trophies honoring the same person.

That would leave the door open to rename the regular season MVP trophy beginning with the 2022-23 MVP after the late David Stern, who was NBA commissioner from 1984-2014 and who passed away on Jan. 1, 2020.

The post-season NBA Finals MVP Trophy is named after Bill Russell.

The NBA also honors former commissioner Larry O’Brien (1975-1984), who passed away in 1990, with the NBA Championship Trophy.

The NBA last season unveiled Conference Final MVP trophies, named after Magic Johnson (Western Conference) and Larry Bird (Eastern Conference); as well as the Bob Cousy Trophy (Eastern Conference champion) and the Oscar Robertson Trophy (Western Conference champ).

The new Maurice Podoloff Trophy features a crystal ball cut into 82 panels and sitting on a pedestal that combines the structures of the Eastern Conference posts and Western conference rings.
 
The Joe Dumars Trophy is named after the former Detroit Pistons star and current NBA evp and head of baksetball operations, who won the inaugural NBA Sportsmanship award in 1995-96. The trophy features two players shaking hands in respect of each other.

Twyman TrophyThe Twyman-Stokes Trophy honors Jack Twyman, who supported teammate Maurice Stokes after he was injured in a game and later came down with encephalopathy. Awarded to the NBA Teammate of the Year, the trophy features Twyman with his arm around Stokes guiding him and supporting him.

The Red Auerbach Trophy is named after the legendary Boston Celtics coach and is awarded to the NBA Coach of the Year. It features the famous Lloyd Lillie sculpture of Auerbach siting on the bench with game plan in one hand and cigar in the other.

The trophies were designed in partnership with artist Victor Solomon, who worked with the league to redesign its trophy offerings throughout the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season.

NBA Trophies Honor Bird,Magic, Cousy, Big O

RIP David Stern, A Man Of ‘Great Vision And Energy’

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