Best record now nets new trophy
There’s now another trophy for NBA teams to chase.
The league announced Tuesday that the team with the best regular season record will now receive The Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named for the first commissioner of the NBA.
And that name strongly suggests that another trophy tweak is coming — since until last season, the league’s MVP trophy was named for Podoloff. Denver’s Nikola Jokic received the Podoloff Trophy when he won his first MVP award in 2021; when he won MVP again last season, he also received a crystal ball amid a leaguewide redesign of many trophies.
The new Podoloff Trophy has a crystal ball cut into 82 panels — a nod to the 82-game regular season — and sits atop a pedestal that combines the structures of the Eastern Conference posts and Western Conference rings.
The league also unveiled several more redesigned trophies Tuesday. The Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship, The Red Auerbach Trophy for coach of the year, The Twyman-stokes Trophy for the league’s best teammate and the NBA Executive of the Year Trophy all have new looks. Each features an embedment inside a 15inch crystal net structure.
“Winning the first NBA Sportsmanship Award and being the trophy’s namesake are among the greatest honors of my career,” said Dumars, who is now an NBA Executive Vice President and the league’s head of basketball operations. “The reimagined trophies represent the enduring legacy of past recipients and are a fitting way to honor those who will continue to raise the standard of excellence in our game.”
Kidd advocates for Green deal
Just after the Mavericks beat the New York Knicks on Saturday, Jalen Brunson recounted his first conversation with Jason Kidd.
“What do you want to achieve?” Kidd asked him just after becoming Dallas’ head coach in Summer 2021.
“I just want to contribute the best I can,” Brunson responded.
“No,” Kidd interrupted. “We’ve got to get you paid.”
A year later, $100million Knicks free agent Brunson reflected: “He did that.”
Kidd wants Josh Green to be next.
Just not for another team.
“The truth is the kid is really good, and if he continues to keep working, he’s going to make a lot of money,” Kidd said. “That’s not my fault, but I didn’t lie to you, and he got paid. Josh is going to get paid a lot of money. I’m telling you here today: If he continues to work and help with the team, the kid has all the talents to be a superstar.”
Leonard buries game-winner
Kawhi Leonard had 16 points, including an 18foot jumper with 1.4 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 119-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night in his return from a right ankle sprain.
Paul George also came back from a strained hamstring to score 19 points along with seven assists for the Clippers, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Reggie Jackson and Nic Batum each had 13 points, and John Wall added 12 points and 12 assists off the bench.