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The NBA under Adam Silver's leadership has seen a lot of new initiatives, including the Play-In Tournament, that have made the regular season tighter. Silver has something new planned every season, with the latest addition being the conference finals MVP trophies.
The NBA has launched redesigns of the Larry O’Brien trophy, Finals MVP, and Eastern & Western Conference trophies – along with two new trophies honoring Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
The Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy will be named after Larry Bird, who has three championships to his name; while the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy will be named after Magic Johnson, who has five championships to his name.
Both Hall of Famers have been pivotal to the league’s success in their era, with their rivalry increasing its popularity. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were both honored to see their names on the trophy - reminiscent of the times they were in their primes. Johnson said:
"I'm truly honored to have my name memorialized on the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Trophy. This player excels on both ends of the court, makes his teammates better and leads his team to the greatest stage in basketball."
Bird said:
"I am very honored to have my name associated with the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy. I know how tough it is to get to this great milestone of the Eastern Conference Finals, and to be named the Most Valuable Player makes it even more special."
The legends chosen to represent these awards are quite apt, but Redditors reacted hilariously to the announcement – mostly calling it an unnecessary addition:
While most fans shared their opinion on whether the additional trophies made sense, some used it as a chance to revive the debate over the GOAT status between LeBron James and Michael Jordan:
The NBA opting to include the Play-In Tournament was a masterstroke
A model of the Play-In tournament was first tested in the 2019-20 season, which was shortened abruptly due to the emergence of the pandemic.
Back then, the Play-In tournament was limited to the eighth and ninth seeds, with the latter needing two wins to progress. It evolved into involving teams seeded eight through 10 the following season, with two of them earning the seventh and eighth seeds for the playoffs.
While the format was once criticized and deemed unnecessary by a few, the 2021-22 season was brought down to the final few games, with the qualifiers still undecided.
The format drastically improves the chances for a team to stay in the playoff race, even if they've had bad stretches or a lot of injury trouble throughout the season. Another benefit it brings is that teams are not trying to tank anymore in order to secure a better position in the NBA Draft.
Guess the Lakers players!
