Steve Kerr reveals why renaming MVP is meaningful to Michael Jordan: "It forces you to reflect and take on different interests in your life"

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reckons renaming the MVP trophy after Michael Jordan is meaningful to his former Chicago Bulls teammate. Jordan was among the many legends the NBA honored on Tuesday by renaming the individual awards after them.

In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr discussed the new honor Jordan received. The four-time champion coach explained why Jordan would appreciate the gesture from the league. He noted that Jordan could use it to reflect on his legendary career.

"I think as guys get older after they retire, it's a weird feeling to retire from playing," Kerr said. "There's a sense of loss. You lose what has made you happy for your whole life since you were a little kid, in most cases. You lose your body's super powers. All of a sudden, things start to hurt. It forces you to reflect and take on different interests in your life."

Kerr added:

"For a guy like Michael Jordan, you can only imagine as great as he was night in and night out, that's a big sense of loss to no longer be able to go out and do that. So I think there is a certain amount of reflection that all of us go through, and it's fun to think back to the good times, and it's an incredible honor to have your name attached to something like that."

Many consider Michael Jordan the greatest player of all time. He won five NBA MVP trophies, six championships and six Finals MVPs. He’s also a former Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, winning ten scoring titles.

The trophy was carefully crafted by Mark Smith, the former vice president of Innovation Special Projects at Nike. It stands 23.6 inches tall and weighs exactly 23.6 pounds, a nod to Jordan’s jersey number and number of championships won.

The base has five sides to signify Jordan's five NBA MVP awards, while the namesake plate has six sides for Jordan’s six rings. The base has a 15-degree angle representing the number of years he spent in the league as a player.

Meanwhile, the crystal basketball has a total of 23 points, another nod to his jersey number. It also measures 1.23 inches in diameter, which points to only one league MVP and MJ’s classic jersey number.

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Michael Jordan not the only legend honored by NBA

Michael Jordan with other NBA legends at the 2022 All-Star Game

Apart from Michael Jordan, the NBA also honored Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, George Mikan and Jerry West. The Defensive Player of the Year was named after Olajuwon, while the Rookie of the Year was named after Chamberlain.

The Sixth Man of the Year is now the John Havlicek Trophy, and the Most Improved Player award is now known as the George Mikan Trophy. The league also introduced the Jerry West Trophy, which will be awarded to the Clutch Player of the Year.