This season's MVP winner in the NBA regular season will be the first recipient of the Michael Jordan Trophy.
The NBA announced on Tuesday the renaming of the award after the former Chicago Bulls star, widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time, who won the MVP award himself five times during his career.
The Michael Jordan Trophy is the headline of six newly-designed trophies, which includes a new award for Clutch Player of the Year, named after Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West, the only player to win the Finals MVP award as part of the losing team when he did so in 1969.
The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy will be awarded to the Defensive Player of the Year, the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy for Rookie of the Year, the John Havlicek Trophy for Sixth Man of the Year and the George Mikan Trophy for Most Improved Player.
"Our new collection of trophies celebrates some of the greatest and most impactful players in the history of the NBA," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
"As we recognise the league's top performers each season, we also pay tribute to the legends who embody these prestigious awards."
The announcement comes shortly after the league revealed a new trophy for the 2022-23 campaign to be awarded to the team that finishes with the best regular-season record.
The Maurice Podoloff Trophy – named after the NBA's first commissioner – will be handed out for the first time this season. The MVP trophy had previously been named after Podoloff up until last year when it was retained by Nikola Jokic.
Damian Lillard credited his Portland Trail Blazers team-mates for helping him match the franchise record for three-pointers in their impressive 133-112 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The point guard matched the Oregon outfit's previous best – set by himself – with 11-from-17, including eight in the first half, as his side ran out comfortable winners at Moda Center.
With an additional two rebounds and two assists, it was Lillard's performance that steered the Trail Blazers around the court and inspired a crucial victory to push them up to sixth in the Western Conference.
The 32-year-old claimed he had not realised he had matched the record, while thanking the rest of his squad for setting up his opportunities.
"I literally didn't know how many threes I had,'" Lillard said. "I was just shooting. I knew I was in double digits
"I thought I made a lot of threes tonight and then I think 'how many did I shoot?'
"Once I got hot, they were looking for me, making the right play. They just kept giving me opportunity after opportunity
"The basket looks huge. I felt I was hot tonight, but I didn't feel I was blazing."
Lillard did not return for the fourth quarter, denying him the chance to make it a dozen, but coach Chauncey Billups said he had no concerns over his decision to keep him on the side.
"He was on a heater that was fun to watch,'' he said. "He can always use some rest, as well. But we rode him as good as we could, and we were able to take care of business.''
Kawhi Leonard will not take any risks with his fitness after posting his best game of the season in the Los Angeles Clippers' 113-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday.
The five-time All-Star, who spent last season recovering from an ACL tear, has slowly worked his way back into contention this campaign, with nine games now under his belt.
In his latest outing, the small forward put up 25 points, second only to team-mate Paul George, while adding nine rebounds and six assists, as the Clippers kept the Celtics in double-digits.
Leonard shut down suggestions he had struggled in his previous games this campaign, but acknowledged he needs to ensure he does not push himself too fast, too soon.
"I've felt good all season," Leonard stated afterwards. "It's just a matter of game reps. I've just got to stay healthy.
"[It is] only my ninth game. You can't rush it. [I have] just got to keep moving."
George, who led for the Clippers with 26 points, was effusive in his praise for Leonard, suggesting glimmers of the star's championship-winning form are returning to the surface.
"That's the same Kawhi," he added. "He’s just playing more, getting more reps.
"We're still trying to figure out how we're going to play on the court with one another. It's just good if both of us are playing aggressive."
The Clippers will now mount a four-game home stand ahead of Christmas, capped off with a trip to the Philadelphia 76ers as they look to strengthen their hand in the Eastern Conference.
Zion Williamson was in no mood to downplay the New Orleans Pelicans' top ranking in the West after inspiring the team to another victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Having defeated the same opponents two days earlier, the Pels cemented their position as Williamson once again put up 35 points in a 129-124 overtime triumph.
It represented a seventh straight win for the high-flying Pels, who are top of the Western Conference with an 18-8 record.
While there is still plenty of basketball left to be played this season, Williamson said the team's aim is to build on their status as pacesetters.
"We're number one in the West right now," Williamson said.
"I know to a lot of people that's not a big deal because it's still early in the season, but for us to have that ranking right now, that's big.
"We want to not only hold on to it but build on it.
"The Suns, they've earned their resume; they're a great team. So, for us to get two back-to-back wins against them, that's big for our confidence."
Head coach Willie Green said of Williamson: "Zion is – he's a matchup problem.
"He just attacks. And when he attacks like he does, he's just tough to cover. It's incredible what he can do."
The Suns, who were without Devin Booker, were once atop the West but now sit fourth and are on a four-match losing streak.
Star man Chris Paul believes now is not the time to panic, however.
"Let it slide off. Realise it's a long season," Paul said. "We know we definitely have to get better and right some things here. But it's not do or die yet."
Joel Embiid downplayed the enormity of his historic 53-point performance for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, insisting that his teammates simply fed the hot hand.
Embiid reached 50 points for the second time this season, both occurring in the past nine games as the Sixers won 131-113 over the Charlotte Hornets.
The center also joined Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in 76ers franchise history to have two 50-point games over a nine-game stretch.
Embiid also joined Chamberlain as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.
"We won," Embiid told reporters. "It's good to do that when you win. It would suck to have those type of scoring nights if you lose.
"I'm just happy it's contributing to winning. Whether I'm scoring a lot, but especially if I'm scoring a lot, at the end of the day, what matters is if it brings us the win."
He added: "We have a saying that you gotta feed the hot hand. My teammates, if I just scored once, it doesn't matter.
"If anybody on the team, if they just score once, you gotta keep feeding them until the defense stops them once or twice or three times. In that situation, I just kept scoring, and they just kept giving me the ball."
Embiid's dominance was underlined by a second-quarter stretch where he scored 15 points in a row. He shot 20-for-32 from the field, making 11-of-11 free-throws with 12 rebounds.
"Every single time, it seems to bring us the win so just gotta keep trying to be efficient and try to play with my teammates," Embiid said.
"Good things happen when you’re worried about the right things and that’s moving the ball and the ball just finds me."
Teammate James Harden, who laid off 16 assists with 19 points, praised the MVP contender.
"He was in attack mode for the entire game," Harden said. "He made scoring look easy tonight, you know what I mean? He was just in attack mode, getting to the basket, his jumper was falling, he had an aggressive night tonight."
Joel Embiid downplayed the enormity of his historic 53-point performance for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, insisting that his teammates simply fed the hot hand.
Embiid reached 50 points for the second time this season, both occurring in the past nine games as the Sixers won 131-113 over the Charlotte Hornets.
The center also joined Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in 76ers franchise history to have two 50-point games over a nine-game stretch.
Embiid also joined Chamberlain as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.
"We won," Embiid told reporters. "It's good to do that when you win. It would suck to have those type of scoring nights if you lose.
"I'm just happy it's contributing to winning. Whether I'm scoring a lot, but especially if I'm scoring a lot, at the end of the day, what matters is if it brings us the win."
He added: "We have a saying that you gotta feed the hot hand. My teammates, if I just scored once, it doesn't matter.
"If anybody on the team, if they just score once, you gotta keep feeding them until the defense stops them once or twice or three times. In that situation, I just kept scoring, and they just kept giving me the ball."
Embiid's dominance was underlined by a second-quarter stretch where he scored 15 points in a row. He shot 20-for-32 from the field, making 11-of-11 free-throws with 12 rebounds.
"Every single time, it seems to bring us the win so just gotta keep trying to be efficient and try to play with my teammates," Embiid said.
"Good things happen when you’re worried about the right things and that’s moving the ball and the ball just finds me."
Teammate James Harden, who laid off 16 assists with 19 points, praised the MVP contender.
"He was in attack mode for the entire game," Harden said. "He made scoring look easy tonight, you know what I mean? He was just in attack mode, getting to the basket, his jumper was falling, he had an aggressive night tonight."
Joel Embiid posted another 50-point performance to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Charlotte Hornets 131-113 on Sunday.
Embiid scored 53 points with 11 rebounds for the Sixers, backing up his league season-best 59 points against the Utah Jazz on November 13.
The Sixers center joined Allen Iverson (2000-01 and 2004-05) and Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66 and 1967-68) to become the third player in franchise history to record multiple 50-point games in the same season.
Embiid also joined Chamberlin as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.
The big man's haul was built around 20-of-32 shooting along with making 11-of-11 free throws as the Sixers improved to 14-12.
James Harden made a solid contribution with 16 assists along with 19 points, including three-of-eight three-point shooting.
Pelicans soar into Western Conference lead
Zion Williamson scored 35 points to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 129-124 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, who were missing Devin Booker again.
Williamson starred on 14-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds for the Pels, who beat the Suns twice in three days to surge into the Western Conference lead with a 18-8 record, fueled by seven straight wins.
Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton both fouled out for Phoenix, who were without Booker due to left hamstring tightness.
Griffin snatches remarkable OT Hawks win
A.J. Griffin sunk an overtime buzzer-beater to clinch the Atlanta Hawks a thrilling 123-122 win over the Chicago Bulls, after DeMar DeRozan hit three free throws with 0.5 seconds left to take the lead.
The Hawks snatched the win when Jalen Johnson's inbound alley-oop pass found Griffin, who hit a six-foot turnaround jumper. Trae Young had 19 points and 14 assists for Atlanta.
DeRozan scored a game-high 34 points for the Bulls, including 12 in the fourth quarter and three overtime free throws after being fouled by Bogdan Bogdanovic with less than a second left on a three-point attempt.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
