NBA conference finals MVP awards
The National [Basketball Association] annually honors the most [valuable player]s of both of its NBA [conference finals|conference finals]. Presented since the 2022 playoffs, the awards are decided by a panel of media members, who cast votes after the conclusion of the conference finals. The person with the highest number of votes in each conference wins the award. The Larry Bird Trophy is awarded to the MVP from the Eastern Conference and the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy for the Western Conference. Their namesakes, Naismith [Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame] players Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, both made their NBA debuts in 1979, and their Celtics–Lakers rivalry#1980s: [Showtime Lakers and Larry Bird|bi-coastal rivalry] in the 1980s helped revive and popularize the league. The inaugural recipients were Jayson Tatum, and Stephen Curry.