The NBA struck a perfect note by naming its All-Star MVP award after Kobe Bryant.
To go one step further, the league has redesigned the All-Star MVP trophy to be more lavish.
You can see the previous All-Star MVP trophy with Bryant above. The new Kobe Bryant trophy:
The symbolism behind the trophy, via the NBA:
- 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 NBA also revealed new trophies for winners of the dunk contest, 3-point contest and skills challenge on All-Star Saturday Night and Rising Stars MVP the day before:
