NBA honors Magic Johnson and Larry Bird by introducing new MVP trophies / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AP – Scanpix Credit AP – Scanpix

The NBA announced the introduction of the Conference Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player) award, which will be named after Magic Johnson in the West and Larry Bird in the East.

Larry Bird

Position:PFAge:65Height:206 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s.

Johnson, 62, was one of the most spectacular players in history and the architect of the 'Showtime' Los Angeles Lakers, who won five rings in the 1980s.

"Thank you to the NBA for naming the new Western Conference Finals MVP trophy after me. I am extremely honored and the trophy is beautiful!" Magic thanked via Twitter.

Bird, for his part, led the Celtics to the conquest of three rings, starring in a fierce rivalry with Johnson that projected the NBA internationally before the great takeoff with Michael Jordan's Bulls in the 1990s.

After he heard the news, Bird joked that winning a Magic Johnson trophy would be the highlight of his career.

In addition to the creation of these two new MVP awards, the league on Thursday unveiled design changes to all of its postseason accolades to mark the competition's 75th anniversary.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy, presented to the championship-winning team, has its base reshaped to include the names of the first 75 champions and has changed the shape of the net and ball. The NBA collaborated on these changes with artist Victor Solomon and the company Tiffany & Co., which has designed and made the Larry O'Brien trophy since 1977.

The league also honored two other giants in its history, former players Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson, by naming the Eastern and Western Conference champion trophies after them, respectively.

The 2021-2022 season playoffs are currently in the final stretch of the Conference semifinals.

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