Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets wins 2023 Western Conference Finals MVP award, know about the Magic Johnson Trophy and its all time winners list
The NBA last year introduced a new set of trophies that will be yearly awarded to the top players and teams during each postseason round.
According to the league, the Eastern and Western Conference trophies for the victorious teams will be named after Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson, respectively. Additionally, the NBA champion trophy and the MVP of the Finals trophy, the Larry O’Brien Trophy and Bill Russell Trophy, were updated.
However, the NBA didn’t stop there. The Conference Finals will end with the presentation of a few new awards.
What is the Magic Johnson Trophy given to the Western Conference finals MVP and winners full list
The Magic Johnson Trophy is presented annually to the MVP of the Western Conference Finals. It is a fitting tribute to the Lakers star who made ten trips to that postseason stage during his career.
Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. The two legends are honored as the namesakes for the trophies that will now be awarded each year to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals MVPs. pic.twitter.com/XW5ptAVtYX
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 12, 2022
In honour of Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals eight times with the Boston Celtics, the MVP award for those games is named after him.
Magic Johnson Trophy winners
Nikola Jokic won the title in 2023 after guiding the Nuggets to a comfortable sweep of the Lakers. The two-time NBA MVP averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists across Denver’s four victories.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their series on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, 113-111, to complete what some will call an unbelievable sweep and make their first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals.
Nikola Jokic has been named the Magic Johnson WCF MVP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Z6pwghtMv7
— ESPN (@espn) May 23, 2023
In 2022, Stephen Curry became the inaugural recipient of the Magic Johnson Trophy. He helped the Warriors defeat the Mavericks 4-1 by averaging 23.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage was 44.4 percent, and his three-point percentage was 43.9 percent.
The previous season, forward Jayson Tatum of the Celtics recorded 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in a thrilling seven-game series against the Heat to earn the Larry Bird Trophy.
Tatum and the Celtics were defeated in the 2022 NBA Finals by Curry and the Warriors.
Magic Johnson career stats in Western Conference Finals
- 18.4 points per game
- 13.2 assists per game
- 7.9 rebounds per game
- 2.1 steals per game
- 0.4 blocks per game
- 40.3 minutes per game
- 49.8 percent shooting
- 28.6 percent 3-point shooting
- 82.4 percent free throw shooting