The NBA Is About To Rename The MVP Trophy And It Absolutely Has To Be Named After Michael Jordan
There's now another trophy for NBA teams to chase.
The league announced Tuesday that the team with the best regular-season record will now receive the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named for the first commissioner of the NBA.
And that name strongly suggests that another trophy tweak is coming -- since until last season, the league's MVP trophy was named for Podoloff.
Can we start with the fact the NBA is adding a regular season "champion". What in the participation trophy is happening here? No one cares about the regular season. Since 2000, of all the teams that would have won or tied for this completely meaningless trophy, only six went on to win the NBA title.
Then again I'm sure the 2016 Golden State Warriors would love to have some kind of recognition for their 73-9 season. Other than everyone making fun of them for blowing a 3-1 lead in The Finals, of course.
I get that the NBA is trying to find a way to curb load management and make teams actually care about the regular season. But to quote every unoriginal douchebag on Twitter, "this ain't it chief."
But as blasphemous as that trophy is, it does clear the way for the renaming of the MVP Trophy. Up until last season it was named after former commissioner Maurice Podoloff. He instituted the shot clock and expanded the league while kicking out point-shavers, so he was definitely an influential figure in NBA history. But the MVP trophy needs more pizzaz. It needs more sizzle. It needs to be named after a legend.
We are going to operate under the assumption that no one is going to have two trophies named after them. So that eliminates Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Byrant, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell. It even eliminates former commissioner and gif legend Davis Stern. The new in-season tournament trophy will be named after him despite him having nothing to do with the in-season tournament.
Don't overthink this one. The obvious answer is the correct answer. Name it after Michael Jordan and call it a day. It's criminal that there isn't an award named after His Airness already.
The guy won five MVP awards and many people don't remember but he was in the running for a sixth in 2002 with the Wizards before he went down with a knee injury.
Who else besides Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett has been more important to his team (than Jordan)? O'Neal and Chris Webber have been injured, and neither Tracy McGrady nor Vince Carter has elevated his team to the top of the Eastern Conference. Allen Iverson, the reigning MVP, is muddling through a disappointing season in Philadelphia.
He is also the most famous NBA player of all time. Hell, he might be the most famous athlete of all time regardless of sport. In fact, on this week's The Hoop Collective Podcast with Brian Windhorst, Marc J. Spears told a crazy story about just how much star power Michael Jordan has.
B.J Evans is the VP of Communications for the Cavs and used to work for the PR department in Charlotte. He told Marc a story that one time MJ called him and said meet me in an hour, we're going to the Kentucky Derby. So he gets to the airport and jumps on the Jordan Jet, which is has to be a top 5 most bad ass plane in the world.
The plane takes off and he realizes they don't even have tickets to the Derby. This trip is completely on a whim so no one knew they were coming. But no one seems all that worried because they are with MJ. As they get close to the Louisville airport they call ahead and ask for a police escort, which of course is waiting for Michael when the plane lands.
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They pull up to the Kentucky Derby and one of the guys in MJ's entourage walked up to the VIP Manager and said that Michael Jordan would like a suite somewhere near the center of the track. The guy was like, yeah buddy, sure. Nice try. This is the Kentucky Derby and we have been sold out for months.
So then MJ walks up to the guy and he about shits himself because it's actually Micael Jordan standing in front of him. His entire tone changes and he scrambles away. A few minutes later they have pushed an entire group out of their center track suite, it's cleaned, new food and alcohol is brought in, and Jordan is betting on the ponies from the comfort of VIP.
HE DID THIS THE DAY OF THE KENTUCKY FREAKING DERBY.
If that isn't the type of behavior that is deserving of an MVP award being named after them then I don't know what the hell is.