The NBA awards are getting an upgrade with the biggest one honoring Michael Jordan as the new name attached to the Most Valuable Player trophy.

Alongside the MVP trophy now being named after Jordan, the NBA is also honoring various legends with awards of their own. Wilt Chamberlain headlines the Rookie of the Year award. Hakeem Olajuwon now holds the title for Defensive Player of the Year. George Mikan and John Havlicek are honored with the Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards, respectively. The NBA is also introducing a new award – the Kia Clutch Player of the Year – which is aptly named after Mr. Clutch, Jerry West.

The design of the Michael Jordan MVP trophy was worked on by Jordan Brand designer Mark Smith in cooperation with MJ himself. The finished product was a bronze trophy featuring “a player breaking out of a rock to reach for the ultimate rock – a crystal basketball.”

One unique wrinkle of the trophy design is how it gets more refined going from the base of the award all the way to the top with the player's hand holding a crystal basketball. Check out the elegant design below:

The NBA's official release for the Michael Jordan MVP trophy alongside the other awards flex the various little details that add even more significance to the award:

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  • The trophy stands 23.6 inches tall and weighs 23.6 pounds, representing Jordan’s jersey number (23) and number of NBA championships (6).
  • Its five-sided base is a nod to Michael Jordan’s five league MVPs.
  • The namesake badge is six-sided, a nod to Jordan’s six NBA championships.
  • The 15-degree angle of the base is a nod to Jordan’s 15-season career.
  • The crystal basketball consists of 23 points, a nod to Jordan’s jersey number.
  • The crystal basketball measures 1.23 inches in diameter, in reference to the singularity of the MVP and Jordan’s standout career.

It's certainly an intriguing feather added to Michael Jordan's cap in the GOAT debate to have the NBA MVP award named after him. No matter where you stand in that discussion, it's hard to argue against MJ deserving the prestigious honor after helping elevate the league on a global scale during his prime.