The National Basketball Association (NBA) revealed on Monday the four new pieces of silverware to be won by the players in its inaugural In-Season Tournament, with each piece of hardware carrying a gold and black theme with a completely custom look.
With the tournament at its quarter-final stage, the league unveiled: the NBA Cup, the In-Season Tournament MVP Trophy, the In-Season Tournament Medals, and the All-Tournament Team Trophies to be won.
Though not as glamorous as the Larry O’Brien Trophy, one of the eight teams in the quarterfinal stage now has the opportunity to win its first piece of silverware by lifting the “NBA Cup” even before the conference title.
The NBA Cup, which is about 23 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds, has a colour mixture of both gold and black. It is a sterling silver trophy covered in 24-karat gold vermeil and black ceramic with eight prongs, which depict the number of teams that advance to the knockout phase.
The trophy, which was initially unveiled in July when the NBA announced the In-Season Tournament, will be awarded to the inaugural winner of the competition on December 9.
A new set of awards for a whole new competition.
Introducing the NBA Cup, Tournament MVP Trophy, Tournament Medals and All-Tournament Team Trophies for the NBA In-Season Tournament, designed by Tiffany & Co. in collaboration with artist Victor Solomon.
Awarded to the champion… pic.twitter.com/hyyDyU2klg
— NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2023
The league also revealed the NBA In-Season Tournament MVP trophy, which will be awarded to the tournament’s most valuable player. Like the NBA Cup, the MVP trophy is also black and gold, weighing 11.5 pounds and being about 15 inches tall.
The prongs of the trophy rest on a three-inch base, which represents the three in-season tournament groups in each conference. However, unlike the NBA Cup, it has two stems that depict the two teams competing in the final game.
The reward for winning an NBA championship is a ring, but for the NBA In-Season Tournament, each player on the championship team will be handed medals. The medals carry the inscription “NBA In-Season Tournament Champions” on them, along with the year. The back of the medals showcases a silhouette of the NBA Cup in the middle of two tournament brackets.
Trophies will also be handed out to honour the players that performed best during the In-Season Tournament, with basketball-shaped trophies for all-tournament selections.
A panel of media members will handpick an In-Season Tournament All-Tournament Team, consisting of the five most outstanding players throughout the competition. The players selected for the team will receive black and gold crystal-like trophies weighing 20 pounds.
