Michael Nolte took a “vow of silence” when he was asked to manufacture the new NBA Michael Jordan MVP trophy last year.
“We approached it as we would any other sculpture that an artist asked us to create,” says Nolte, who co-owns Milwaukee’s Vanguard Sculpture Services, the studio that also made The Bronze Fonz. “When they first approached us, it was not obvious what it was for. It was simply a sculpture that was waiting to be produced.”
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Mark Smith of the Jordan Brand designed the 23.6-pound, 23.6-inch-tall bronze trophy. The design is not meant to resemble any particular player so that it can apply to anyone who wins the award. Nolte, who was eventually told what they were for, made five of the trophies, including one for its namesake, Michael Jordan.
“Not every award reaches the level of being a sculpture, but this one does,” Nolte says. “It bridges the boundary between an award and a sculpture.”
After casting the five, Nolte got a surprise visit at his studio from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who wanted to see the new trophies. With the Bucks beginning another playoff drive this month, the Greek Freak just might end up bringing one of those trophies back to Milwaukee.
