The NBA is renaming the All-Star MVP trophy in honor of 18-time All-Star Kobe Bryant.
The All-Star weekend has taken on a somber tone this year, largely because of multiple tributes for Bryant, as well as the NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern, who died Jan. 1.
“I know it will be especially meaningful to that player that wins the first Kobe Bryant MVP,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “So I’m sure there will be other honors, as well, and as I mentioned, there are other things that we will be discussing with our board, the NBA board, when they meet in April to honor David. But this one seems so appropriate here at All-Star because nobody embodied All-Star more than Kobe Bryant.”
This trophy will be presented at the conclusion of the 2020 All-Star Game on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant -- along with his daughter Gianna and seven others -- died in a helicopter crash in Southern California last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.