Named after a magician, why doesn't the league use Kobe's name?
First, the second round of the playoffs is coming to an end, and the nba officially announced an important decision, that is, to increase the mvp trophy in the East-West Finals of the playoffs and name it the regional championship trophy. The Eastern Championship trophy is called "Robert Joseph Cousy Cup", the Western Championship trophy is called "oscar robertson Cup", the most valuable player trophy in the Eastern Finals is called "larry bird Cup", and the most valuable player trophy in the Western Finals is called "Owen Johnson Cup". It can be seen that the nba named four other famous players after them, which caused a heated discussion among fans.
Second, many fans think it is inappropriate to name the mvp of the Western Conference Finals after Magic Johnson, because Kobe has a nickname-"the king of the Western Conference Finals". As the name implies, Kobe's performance in the Western Conference finals is commendable, especially the "good combination" during this period. Some people say that if the strong teams such as the Spurs are all Eastern teams, Kobe will get at least one mvp during this period. For example, in the 2000-0 1 Western Conference finals, Kobe averaged 33.3 points and O 'Neal averaged 33.3 points. 27 points, Kobe Bryant's outbreak is the key to the Lakers' victory.
Third, then, the most valuable player in the West was named after a magician. Why doesn't the league use Kobe's name?
1. Actually, the answer is very simple. Even if Kobe has great influence, the league will not reuse Kobe's name to name some trophies. Yes, shortly after Kobe's death in 2020, the president of the league named the All-Star mvp trophy after Kobe, that is, the famous "Kobe Cup" as one of the most influential players in the nba, and used Kobe's name. The star-studded All-Star mvp trophy is a perfect name.
2. In the 20 years of the league, Kobe Bryant 18 was selected for the All-Star Game, which was also his first appearance. Because the All-Star mvp trophy is named after Kobe Bryant, it can't be used on other trophies. To tell the truth, it is appropriate for the league to name the mvp trophy in the Western Conference finals after Magic Johnson. He won the western championship nine times in his career and performed very well. In other words, even if the league doesn't use Kobe's name, Magic Johnson is more qualified to name the Western Conference finals mvp trophy after him.