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Every NBA award and the people they are named after - Butler named East Finals MVP

Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell are three of many NBA legends to have an award named after them.

There are many team and individual awards up for grabs in the NBA.

The NBA have introduced lots of new awards this year, while renaming plenty of current trophies at the same time.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver seems very intent on commemorating lots of NBA legends this way, with the likes of Sam Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, and Wayne Embry receiving this honour.
The NBA championship trophy is named after the league's former commissioner - but who is he and why is it named after him?

From the Sixth Man of the Year Trophy to the Citizenship Award, Planet Sport clears the fog and gives you the full summary.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy (NBA championship trophy)

The NBA championship is awarded to the winning team of the NBA Finals and is named after ex-league commissioner Larry O'Brien.
O'Brien directed the ABA-NBA merger and coordinated the NBA's richest TV contract to date in 1982. He also greatly improved attendance numbers, introduced the salary cap and oversaw the introduction of the three-point line.
As a result of his contributions to the NBA, the championship trophy was named after O'Brien in 1984.
The 2023 NBA Finals are set. The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will battle it out for this coveted trophy.

Wilt Chamberlain Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

The Rookie of the Year is awarded to the best performing rookie player of the NBA regular season and was renamed after Wilt Chamberlain in 2022 - who is regarded as one of the best players of all-time.
Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a game - an NBA record - and set all sorts of records during his time in the league.
This award was previously held by Eddie Gottlieb. The former coach and executive headed the NBA rules committee for 25 years and was inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame in 1972.

Michael Jordan Trophy (Most Valuable Player)

The Most Valuable Player is awarded to the best performing player of the NBA regular season and is named after legendary shooting guard Michael Jordan.
Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time and won six titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

This award was previously named after the first president of the NBA, Maurice Podoloff, who helped expand the league to 19 teams and introduced the 24-second shot clock, quickening the pace of the sport as a result.

Kobe Bryant Trophy (All-Star Game MVP)

The All-Star Game MVP is awarded to the best performing player in the annual All-Star Game and is named after legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships.
The award was named after Bryant shortly after he tragically died in a helicopter crash alongside eight others.

Red Auerbach Trophy (Coach of the Year)

The Coach of the Year is awarded to the best coach of the NBA regular season and is named after former coach and executive Red Auerbach.
Auerbach won 938 matches and nine NBA championships as a coach, before becoming an executive, winning another seven championships, totaling 16 title wins in 29 years.
As one of the greatest coaches in league history, Auerbach had the Coach of the Year award named after him in 1967, two years after he won the award.

Bill Russell Trophy (NBA Finals MVP)

The NBA Finals MVP is awarded to the best performing player in the NBA Finals and is named after legendary center Bill Russell.
Russell spent his entire 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, winning a record 11 NBA championships.
In 2009, the NBA Finals MVP was renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in honour of one of the greatest players of all time.

Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy (Defensive Player of the Year)

The Defensive Player of the Year is awarded to the best defensive player of the NBA regular season.
This award was one of many this year to be renamed. The Defensive Player of the Year is now named after Hakeem Olajuwon, who won the trophy twice in his career. Marcus Smart is the current holder, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.

John Havlicek Trophy (Sixth Man of the Year)

The Sixth Man of the Year is awarded to the best performing player as a substitute during the NBA regular season.
Not Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford, but eight-time champion John Havlicek was recently given the honour of having this award named after him.

George Mikan Trophy (Most Improved Player)

The Most Improved Player is awarded to the most improved player in the NBA that season, believe it or not.
This award could potentially be named after Giannis Antetokounmpo in the future, but in 2022 it was renamed after George Mikan, whose playing career was between 1946-1954 before coming out of retirement briefly in 1956.

Jerry West Trophy (Clutch Player of the Year)

This award was created in December 2022 and named after Jerry West, who is the famous man on the NBA logo.
The trophy is awarded to the player who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch.

Larry Bird Trophy (Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player)

This award is given to the best player in the Eastern Conference Finals and is named after Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler claimed this award this year for his stellar series against the Boston Celtics.

Magic Johnson Trophy (Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player)

This is the exact same but for the Western Conference Finals and is named after former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson.
The 2023 winner of this award was Denver Nuggets centre and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic after he helped his side sweep the Los Angeles Lakers.

J. Walter Kennedy Trophy (Citizenship Award)

The Citizenship Award is awarded to a player who showed "great service and dedication to the community" and is named after ex-league commissioner J. Walter Kennedy.
Kennedy was preceded by Podoloff and succeeded by O'Brien. He is the first commissioner to uphold a protest in the NBA and helped expand the league and land a lucrative television deal during a difficult period.
For his contributions to the NBA, the Citizenship Award is named after Kennedy.

Joe Dumars Trophy (Sportsmanship Award)

The Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the player who most displays "the ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play and integrity" and is named after Sacramento Kings' chief strategy officer Joe Dumars.
Dumars has over 30 years of NBA experience as both a player and executive. With the Detroit Pistons, he won two titles as a player and one as president of basketball operations.
The Sportsmanship Award is named after the inaugural winner of the award, Dumars.

Twyman-Stokes Trophy (Teammate of the Year)

The Teammate of the Year is awarded to a player who is seen as an "ideal teammate" who exemplifies "selfless play and commitment and dedication to his team" and is named after Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes.
In 1958, Stokes suffered a seizure and was left permanently paralysed, days after being knocked unconscious during a game. His teammate and lifelong friend, Twyman, became Stokes' legal guardian and cared for him before he was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, where Twyman continued to be a regular visitor.
The Teammate of the Year award was introduced in 2013 and is named after Twyman and Stokes.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy (Social Justice Champion Award)

The Social Justice Champion Award is awarded to a player who is making strides in the fight for social justice and is named after legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar won six championships during his 20-year career and has scored the most points in NBA history.
The Social Justice Champion Award is named after Abdul-Jabbar, whose fight against social issues dates back to the civil rights movement.

Executive of the Year

The Executive of the Year is awarded to the best front office executive of the NBA season.
If this award was to be named after someone, it would likely be Danny Ainge or Jerry Colangelo, who has won the award a record four times.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to a player who has had a lifetime of achievement in the league.
It was created in 2017 and Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are the current holders. Nobody has been given this award since 2019.

Bob Cousy Trophy (Eastern Conference championship trophy)

Created in 2001, this award is given to the winning team of the Eastern Conference Finals and was named after former Boston Celtics point guard, Bob Cousy, in 2022.

Oscar Robertson Trophy (Western Conference championship trophy)

Unsurprisingly created in the same year as the East trophy, this award is given to the winning team of the Eastern Conference Finals.
In 2022, it was named after legendary point guard Oscar Robertson, who was a walking triple-double during his time in the NBA.

Maurice Podoloff Trophy (NBA regular season champions)

Podoloff might have lost the MVP award, but has been named after this new trophy, given to the team with the best regular season record.

Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy (Atlantic Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Atlantic Division.
It is named after Nat Clifton, the first African American player to sign an NBA contract.

Wayne Embry Trophy (Central Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Central Division.
It is named after Wayne Embry, the first African American NBA general manager and team president.

Earl Lloyd Trophy (Southeast Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Southeast Division.
It is named after Earl Lloyd, the first African American player to play a game in the NBA.

Willis Reed Trophy (Southwest Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Southwest Division.
It is named after former player, coach, and general manager Willis Reed.

Sam Jones Trophy (Northwest Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Northwest Division.
It is named after former shooting guard Sam Jones, who passed away in December 2021.

Chuck Cooper Trophy (Pacific Division champions)

This award is given to the first-placed team in the Pacific Division.
It is named after Chuck Cooper, the first African American player to be drafted by an NBA team.

All-NBA Team

There are three All-NBA teams and they include the best players in the league during the NBA regular season.

All-Rookie Team

There are two All-Rookie teams and they include the best rookies in the league during the NBA regular season.

All-Defensive Team

There are two All-Defensive teams and they include the best defensive players in the league during the NBA regular season.

Read more: Ranking the top 10 players in NBA history - find out if your pick makes the cut

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