The National Basketball Association (NBA) unveiled newly designed NBA All-Star trophies for the league’s 75th Anniversary Season, including the Kobe Bryant Trophy for the All-Star Game MVP.
The trophies will be presented for the first time during NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland. The game is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
The NBA partnered with artist Victor Solomon for the trophy designs.
“As the NBA celebrates its 75th Anniversary Season, this collection of All-Star trophies represents the continued growth and evolution of our game,” said Christopher Arena, Head of On-Court and Brand Partnerships at the NBA. “Through our collaboration with Victor Solomon, these trophies incorporate 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.”
The NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy has been permanently named after the late 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four Kia All-Star Game MVP awards.
The new Kobe Bryant Trophy honors Bryant, with details about the NBA All-Star and Bryant’s career:
• 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).