NBA Commissioner Announces All-Star MVP Award Renamed In Honor Of Kobe Bryant

CHICAGO, Ill. – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Saturday night before the All-Star festivities began that the league will name the All-Star Game MVP award after Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Bryant and 8 others including his daughter Gianna, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26 in Southern California.

The Lakers legend played in 18 All-Star games and won the MVP award four times in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

The NBA is honoring the life of Kobe Bryant and his daughter during the 2020 All-Star game in Chicago, Illinois. They will have Team LeBron led by Lakers star LeBron James wearing No. 2 on their uniforms to represent Gianna’s number.

Team Giannis led by Milwaukee Bucks star and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will wear No. 24 on their jersey’s to represent Bryant’s number that he wore for most of his career.

Commissioner Silver announces the All-Star Game MVP Award will now be named the Kobe Bryant MVP Award. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/Rh9GYQh1nr

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020

Also, the NBA is changing the format to the All-Star game with the winner of each quarter having money donated to the charity of that team. They will do that for the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, they will add up the scores from the first three quarters and add on 24 points as the target score. The first team to reach that score will win the All-Star game.