Apart from winning the NBA championship, players also have another goal in mind. That goal is to become the league’s Most Valuable Player and take the prestigious Maurice Podoloff trophy home.
Maurice Podoloff trophy
The NBA MVP trophy is officially known as the “Maurice Podoloff trophy”. It’s awarded every season to the player who put up solid and convincing stats while leading his team to the top.
Winning the NBA MVP trophy equates to being the best basketball player in the world. This is the big reason why NBA players continue to improve their craft every season.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Maurice Podoloff trophy.
Why is it called the Maurice Podoloff trophy?
The NBA MVP trophy is named after Maurice Podoloff, the first NBA commissioner in league history. Honoring him goes beyond that. Podoloff also played a vital role in expanding the league, increasing fan interest, and transforming the game of basketball into the sport that we know today.
Podoloff’s impact started when he negotiated to merger of the BAA and National Basketball League. This merger ultimately gave birth to the National Basketball Association.
Moreover, Podoloff introduced the first collegiate draft and implemented the 24-second shot clock, which drastically improved the pace of the game.
Given Podoloff’s overall impact in the NBA’s formative years, the league decided to name the NBA MVP award after him. It represents courage, wisdom, and leadership that Podoloff showed during his time.
Who is the player on the NBA MVP trophy?
The player on the NBA MVP trophy isn’t actually Maurice Podoloff. Instead, it’s a player modeled after the famous NBA logo, a silhouette of Jerry West.
In fact, Podoloff didn’t have any professional basketball background. The NBA MVP trophy was just named after him due to his contributions to the professional basketball scene as a commissioner.
Who makes the NBA MVP trophy?
In 1985, the NBA commissioned Marc Mellon to sculpt the Maurice Podoloff trophy. Since then, he makes a trophy for every NBA MVP winner each season. It was Larry Bird who received it first in 1986.
What is the NBA MVP trophy made of?
The Maurice Podoloff trophy is made of bronze. Sculptor Marc Mellon is well-known for making bronze trophies and statues.
Mellon sculpted other bronze trophies such as the WNBA MVP award, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, and the Drazen Petrovic award. He’s also the one who sculpted the Jackie Robinson – George Shuba commemorative statue in Youngstown, Ohio.
Who keeps the NBA MVP trophy?
The NBA MVP winner is the one who takes the trophy home. After all, it’s an individual accomplishment. The player has every right to receive the trophy since it represents everything that he sacrificed to win said award.
Some players decide to sell the trophy and donate the proceeds to charity. Charles Barkley sold his two Olympic gold medals and the 1993 NBA MVP trophy to build twenty affordable homes in his hometown in Leeds, Alabama.
Previous winners of the Maurice Podoloff trophy
The winners of the Maurice Podoloff trophy are filled with the greatest players to ever play the game. Some of these players put up historic MVP campaigns during their reign in the league.
Since the trophy’s inception in 1985, Michael Jordan holds the record for the most MVPs at five. Meanwhile, LeBron James has secured four MVP trophies.
Here are the winners of the Maurice Podoloff trophy since its inception in 1985:
1986 – Larry Bird
1987 – Magic Johnson
1988 – Michael Jordan
1989 – Magic Johnson
1990 – Magic Johnson
1991 – Michael Jordan
1992 – Michael Jordan
1993 – Charles Barkley
1994 – Hakeem Olajuwon
1995 – David Robinson
1996 – Michael Jordan
1997 – Karl Malone
1998 – Michael Jordan
1999 – Karl Malone
2000 – Shaquille O’Neal
2001 – Allen Iverson
2002 – Tim Duncan
2003 – Tim Duncan
2004 – Kevin Garnett
2005 – Steve Nash
2006 – Steve Nash
2007 – Dirk Nowitzki
2008 – Kobe Bryant
2009 – LeBron James
2010 – LeBron James
2011 – Derrick Rose
2012 – LeBron James
2013 – LeBron James
2014 – Kevin Durant
2015 – Stephen Curry
2016 – Stephen Curry
2017 – Russell Westbrook
2018 – James Harden
2019 – Giannis Antetokounmpo
2021 – Nikola Jokic
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