NBA award winners to don honorable jersey patches in 2025-26 season debut

The NBA will introduce special uniform patches for award winners during the opening week of the 2024-25 season. Players who received individual honors such as MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Defensive Player of the Year (Evan Mobley), and Rookie of the Year (Stephon Castle) will have trophy icons sewn above the Nike swoosh on their jerseys. Members of All-NBA, All-Rookie, and All-Defensive teams will also wear patches, but individual awards take precedence over team honors—for instance, Gilgeous-Alexander will only display the MVP patch despite making the All-NBA first team.

A total of 35 players will wear these patches exclusively during their season debut games. Afterward, the game-worn uniforms will be auctioned by Sotheby's, the NBA's official partner for game-worn apparel, with each player receiving a uniform to keep. Coaches and executives, like Kenny Atkinson (Coach of the Year) and Sam Presti (Executive of the Year), will be recognized with lapel pins instead of jersey patches.

According to Christopher Arena, the NBA's head of on-court and brand partnerships, the initiative aims to provide immediate recognition for award winners, as some may miss traditional moments like trophy presentations due to timing (e.g., Rookie of the Year announcements during vacation). The patches also serve to highlight the NBA's trophy icons unveiled in 2022. Arena noted that while players may not receive standing ovations, the patches offer personal motivation and a tangible reminder of their achievements.

This program is distinct from existing partnerships, such as Fanatics/Topps' season-long patches for rookies and gold logos for top award winners, though the league drew inspiration from them. Each patch features unique designs corresponding to specific trophies, named after legendary players—for example, the MVP patch reflects the Michael Jordan Trophy with a leaping player and five-sided base. The NBA plans to monitor player and fan reactions, hoping to establish this as a long-term tradition to honor award winners at the start of each season.