MKE’s MVP: How the NBA’s New ‘Jordan Trophy’ Got Made in Milwaukee

By Christina Lorey

January 24, 2023

When millions of people tune in this June to see who will win the 2023 NBA MVP award, they’ll be staring at a brand-new trophy that was made in Wisconsin!

What It Is

“The Michael Jordan Trophy” is the NBA’s new MVP prize. Standing 23.6 inches tall and weighing 23.6 pounds, a nod to Jordan’s jersey number and the number of titles he won with a team 90 miles south of Milwaukee, there’s a good chance it could stay in the Cream City.

Who’s Behind It

Vanguard Sculpture Services, the shop behind iconic sculptures like downtown Milwaukee’s Bronze Fonz, was approached to help make the trophy more than six months ago. They were sworn to secrecy and, at first, even they didn’t know the design would become the new MVP trophy.

Nike and Michael Jordan himself collaborated on the design, which is intended not to represent any one player (although the athlete’s gesture is reminiscent of Jordan.)

How It’s Made

The first step is simple: an artist creates a model out of clay or stone. The shop then begins a complicated nine-step process, which involves working with 1,350-degree metal to transform the model into bronze! The statue will last about 4,000 years, but the patina, the green film that forms on top, will need to be maintained every few years.

Vanguard made five Jordan trophies in total: one for each of the next five years, so it’s possible at least one could stay in the city that made it! The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo won consecutive MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 and is still in the race for his third, according to oddsmakers.

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: SPORTS

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Wisconsinites and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at UpNorthNews has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Wisconsin families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.