NBA Twitter Ignites as ?Trash? Michael Jordan News Unearths His Special Request for New MVP Trophy

The NBA championship rings, the many trophies, the several honors, and the induction into the Hall of Fame all glitter the basketball world. This year, the league announced approximately six re-imagined trophies that would be presented to worthy players at the end of this season. But a Michael Jordan trophy has seemingly not impressed fans.

The league’s new Michael Jordan MVP trophy is an ode to the one many call the GOAT. He topped last season’s ESPN ranking of the NBA magnum opus: the 75th Anniversary team. The trophy has been designed by the same man behind the Air Jordans, Mark Smith.

The design of the trophy has fans labeling it as “trash”. Another person said that it was similar to a trophy they got back in school. And others complained that the trophy did not resemble Michael Jordan in any way.

Here are some reactions from NBA Twitter:

https://twitter.com/courtsidehecklr/status/1602745757144154120?s=20&t=pyR5FTB3AKnU4hk4vIv91w

But this seems to be a deliberate choice for Smith. He admitted that Michael Jordan wanted the recipient of the award to “see themselves in the award, not a likeness of him”. The designer believed that the trophy symbolized the “pinnacle of individual accomplishment”.

Read More: 21-Year-Old Anthony Edwards, Who Michael Jordan Told Was Better Than Him, Makes Honest Admission on $225 Million NBA All-Star: ?They Cooked Us..??

The trophy is also a statement of Jordan’s progression, away from the rough rocks and reaching towards perfection. The trophy also marked Jordan’s legacy, including his jersey number and the number of NBA championships he has won.

The debate behind the new Michael Jordan trophy

NBA fans also wondered why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not considered for such an award. He notably has six MVPs to his name, while?Michael Jordan has five. Several others online displayed their disappointment with the design because it did not look like the Chicago Bulls legend.

The other reimagined trophies by the NBA are as follows: the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year, the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy for Rookie of the Year, the John Havlicek Trophy for Sixth Man of the Year, the Jerry West Trophy for Clutch Player of Year and the George Mikan Trophy for Most Improved Player.

Watch This Story: Years After Retirement, Michael Jordan Helped the NBA Earn $52 Million With a Movie That Just Used His Name

What are your thoughts on the MJ trophy? Let us know in the comments below.