NBA All-Star Game 2022 to Introduce Kobe Bryant Trophy

NBA All-Star Game 2022 to Introduce Kobe Bryant Trophy

NBA UNVEILS REIMAGINED KOBE BRYANT TROPHY TO BE AWARDED TO KIA ALL-STAR GAME MVP

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has unveiled its lineup of newly designed NBA All-Star trophies in celebration of the league’s 75^th Anniversary Season.  Designed in partnership with artist Victor Solomon, the trophies will be presented for the first time during NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.  The lineup of hardware is headlined by The Kobe Bryant Trophy, which will be awarded to the Kia NBA All-Star Game MVP on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

TNT will unveil the All-Star Game reserves (seven players from each conference), as selected by NBA head coaches, and showcase the new NBA All-Star trophies tonight at 7 p.m. ET on TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax. 

The NBA All-Star trophies include:

The Kobe Bryant Trophy – Awarded to the Kia NBA All-Star MVP:

As previously announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in 2020, the NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy has been permanently named for the late Kobe Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four Kia All-Star Game MVP awards.  The new Kobe Bryant Trophy further celebrates its namesake, with intricate details holding dual meanings, both for NBA All-Star and Bryant’s legendary career, which include the following:

• Base Dimension: The eight-sided base represents the eight decades of NBA All-Star Games and is a nod to Bryant’s No. 8 jersey number.  The 18 stars around the trophy represent his 18 All-Star selections.  The base height of 2 inches is a nod to Bryant’s 2002 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
• Level 1: The 24 stars represent each All-Star in the game and Bryant’s No. 24 jersey number. The 7-inch height is a nod to Bryant’s 2007 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
• Level 2: The 10 stars represent the All-Star Game starters and Bryant’s USA Basketball No. 10 jersey.  The 9-inch height is a nod to Bryant’s 2009 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
• Level 3: The five stars represent the unity of an NBA team and Bryant’s five NBA championships.  The 11-inch height is a nod to his 2011 Kia NBA All-Star MVP.
• Level 4: A single star represents the star of stars and Bryant winning The Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the 2007-08 Kia NBA MVP.  The 2-inch height of the final star represents Bryant’s two Bill Russell Trophies as the NBA Finals MVP (2009-2010).

NBA All-Star Events:

In addition to The Kobe Bryant Trophy, the following NBA All-Star events will crown their respective champion or MVP with a newly designed trophy:

• AT&T Slam Dunk Champion
• MTN DEW^® 3-Point Contest Champion
• Taco Bell Skills Challenge Champion
• Clorox Rising Stars MVP

These trophies take inspiration from the gold-basketball All-Star trophies that had been previously awarded to the event champions, infusing nostalgia from the past trophies and spinning them forward with a new, innovative approach.

Each trophy is composed of the following:

• A 14-inch crystal star-shaped column.
• A 24-karat gold basketball embedded within the column, which is surrounded by orbiting text of the respective event and honor.

NBA All-Star Game Rings:

As is custom since 1983, NBA All-Star rings are awarded to players in recognition of their selection to the game.  Design details of the latest rings include:

• The ring’s frame resembles a basketball seam.
• The NBA All-Star host city and year is etched on the side of the band.
• A crystal ball is embedded in the ring seam, with the All-Star host city and year magnified underneath.
• The crystal ball is surrounded by 22 stars and 22 diamonds, in reference to the current All-Star year.

Clorox Rising Stars Champions:

The winning team of the Clorox Rising Stars will receive medals that are elevated by basketball seams, with “Champions” and stars engraved in the center.  In addition, two players from each Rising Stars team will compete in the Clorox Clutch Challenge, with the winning team set to receive a 10-inch crystal disc.

Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP:

The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will award an MVP trophy fit for the game that features stars across film, television, music, sports and more.  The trophy will consist of the following:

• A 250-millimeter faceted crystal ball.
• “MVP” is 3D laser etched and suspended in the ball’s center.

NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland will bring together the most talented and passionate players for a global celebration of the game as the league celebrates its 75^th Anniversary Season.  The 71^st NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 59 languages.  TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 20^th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 37^th year of NBA All-Star coverage.  Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will also host Clorox Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 18 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 19.  The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 18 and the NBA All-Star Practice and NBA HBCU Classic, both presented by AT&T, on Feb. 19 will take place at the Wolstein Center.