NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has announced that the Kia NBA All-Star Game MVP Award has been permanently renamed after the late Kobe Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four All-Star Game MVP awards.
Silver’s press conference took place in Chicago at the All-Star Weekend, an event Kobe Bryant participated in 18 times and dominated by winning a record four All-Star Game MVP awards.
Early in his press conference, Silver pulled a sheet off of a mystery object, revealing a newly renamed trophy for the All-Star Game MVP award.
He then revealed that henceforth, it will be called the Kia NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award.
He said: “Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game
He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”
Kobe was named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, and he is sure to earn enshrinement later this year.
Kobe was loved by all and his death was definitely a tragedy that took the world by surprise.
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He is sure to be honored all through the entire NBA for the rest of the season. His death is one of the great tragedies in NBA history, and while nothing can ever change that, the league has done a remarkable job of honoring his memory ever since.