NBA unveils ‘reimagined’ Kobe Bryant Trophy given to All-Star Game MVP

This year’s edition of the All-Star Game takes place in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20. 

According to the official NBA release, the trophy has an eight-sided base that honors Bryant’s No. 8 jersey and 18 stars, one for each of his All-Star selections. The trophy also includes four levels, each of which pays tribute to Bryant in different ways. 

For example, the five stars in the trophy’s third level are a nod to the five NBA championships Bryant won during his Hall-of-Fame career. 

The NBA also released new versions of the other trophies awarded over All-Star weekend and created in partnership with artist Victor Solomon. 

“As the NBA celebrates its 75th Anniversary Season, this collection of All-Star trophies represents the continued growth and evolution of our game,” Christopher Arena, Head of On-Court and Brand Partnerships at the NBA, said in the prepared statement. “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.” 

Solomon added: 

“For the past few years, the NBA and I have proudly and tirelessly worked to reconsider what a trophy is, has been and could be. Redesigning the All-Star trophies gave us a special opportunity to create event awards worthy of the energy and excitement the moment creates, while introducing the full collection’s visual, aesthetic language. The occasion also gave us the privilege and responsibility to develop an entirely new silhouette worthy of being named ‘The Kobe Bryant Trophy’ for the Kia NBA All-Star MVP for which, in the spirit of its namesake, we threw out all conventions and challenged ourselves to reorient how we thought about ‘the game.'”