Ahead of the NBA MVP announcement on May 2, we take a closer look at the new Michael Jordan NBA MVP Trophy designed by Victor Solomon for this year's 2022-23 KIA Most Valuable Player. Solomon worked with Christopher Arena at the NBA, Jordan's in-house design lead Mark Smith, and Michael Jordan himself to bring this historic project to life.

While MJ insisted that his likeness not overshadow the honor of the recipient, Solomon writes that they "baked into the silhouette a series of reference points to MJ's career." At first glance, the trophy has a sleek and minimal design. Upon closer inspection, however, we find that the design is not as straightforward as it seems.

The height of the trophy measures 23.6 inches tall, referring to Michael Jordan's jersey number and the championships he has won. Additionally, the crystal clear ball in the player's hand has 23 points and measures 1.23 inches in diameter. The five-sided base top refers to MJ's five MVP awards, and the angles are tuned in such a way to honor the NBA legend, with the base flaring at 15 degrees in reference to MJ's 15 years in the league and the base incorporating a 45-degree chamfer as a nod to MJ's secondary number. Rounding out the design is a six-sided nameplate referring to MJ's six Finals MVP nominations.

The 2022-23 KIA Most Valuable Player will be officially announced on May 2 at 7 p.m. EST on TNT. Take a closer look at the new Michael Jordan trophy below.

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