The NBA reveals the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game trophy, two years following the demise of the renowned basketball legend.

• The NBA unveiled the new Kobe Bryant trophy, which will be presented to the All-Star Game's most valuable player in the upcoming month.
• In January 2020, a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
• The artist, Victor Solomon, stated that the trophy needed to represent his presence, innovation, and boldness.

The NBA has revamped its All-Star Game MVP trophy to commemorate Kobe Bryant, who passed away two years ago.

The NBA named the MVP award after the 18-time All-Star, who won a record-tying four MVPs in the annual exhibition game. Tragically, Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others, died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

The 2022 All-Star Game will take place in Cleveland on Feb. 20, with the starters announced and the reserves to be revealed on Thursday night.

On Thursday, the new MVP trophy was unveiled for the first time, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had previously announced the renaming of the award in honor of Kobe Bryant following his death.

In a February 2020 statement, Silver said that Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game. That year, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers won the inaugural Kobe Bryant MVP award.

The NBA has unveiled redesigned trophies for the Slam Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, Rising Stars competition, and celebrity game, in addition to the new MVP prize.

Victor Solomon, a renowned artist known for his $30,000 hand-crafted basketball hoops, collaborated with the league to design new trophies. Solomon shared with CNBC that this project presented an opportunity for him to be creative and push the boundaries of what he and the team could achieve.

A trophy that honors Kobe

Solomon was approached by the NBA in March 2020 about a redesign.

The eight-sided base of the Kobe Bryant trophy honors his All-Star appearances and original No. 8 jersey.

In 2002, Bryant earned the MVP award at the All-Star Game, with a standout performance that included a game-high 31 points in front of a passionate crowd in Philadelphia, close to where Bryant grew up.

The trophy honors Bryant's accomplishments, including his No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers jersey, No. 10 Team USA jersey, five NBA championships, and two NBA MVP awards.

Solomon stated that the trophy needed to represent his presence, innovation, and boldness. He added that it was fortunate that as they began to move in a creative direction, there were some emotionally significant moments that emerged naturally.

Until 2016, Solomon's work was not well-known in basketball circles. However, that changed when he received a call.

In 2018, Sports Illustrated reported that Solomon created a $30,000 basketball hoop for Kevin Durant, which was made of 24-karat gold and had a crystal net, at Nike's request to celebrate Durant's arrival in California and his joining the Golden State Warriors.

Solomon crafted compositions for both Rick Ross, a hip-hop sensation, and Paul Pierce, a former NBA player.

Solomon revealed to Sports Illustrated that his true aspiration is to revamp the NBA trophies. "It's time for a change," he stated.

Since then, Solomon has said that his experience has been "crazy." He recalls the quote and stated that his partnership with the NBA began "organically" in 2019 when the NBA requested his expertise for a new trophy design for its G League operation.

Solomon recognized that the opportunity to make an impression was his chance to set the stage for a larger vision he had.

Over 10 times, the NBA's All-Star trophy has been redesigned since 1986, featuring a basketball with the NBA logo in the center.

The NBA has not disclosed the amount spent on the new Kobe Bryant trophy, but industry sources estimate it to be around $60,000. The Larry O'Brien trophy, given annually to the NBA finals winner, is made by Tiffany & Co and has been reportedly valued at $13,000.

Solomon stated that while the Kobe Bryant trophy does not contain stained glass, it is made of luxurious materials befitting the honor being celebrated.

High stakes

The NBA's 75th anniversary season sees the introduction of the Kobe Bryant trophy and other new awards.

Christopher Arena, the NBA's head of on-court and brand partnerships, stated that we agreed to start attacking and reimagining the trophies at All-Star first, as we knew we could do better and innovate while respecting the past.

The most noticeable redesigns in the NBA awards are for the -sponsored Slam Dunk trophy and the Mountain Dew-sponsored three-point contest crown. Each trophy features a 14-inch crystal star-shaped column and has a 24-karat-gold basketball embedded inside.

Solomon stated that the creative process entailed utilizing the "classic gold ball on the wooden base" imagery to advance the new version.

Solomon stated that it was clear to us how high the stakes were.

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