Could NBA Unveiling Larry Bird, Magic Johnson Trophies Create Another Wager?

The NBA announced Thursday morning the league will establish new postseason awards to go along with the well-known Larry O’Brien Trophy, Bill Russell Trophy and others, while simultaneously paying tribute to two more legends of the game.

The NBA now will honor Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird and Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin “Magic” Johnson with their names on the new Conference Finals MVP awards. The “Larry Bird Trophy” will be awarded to the Eastern Conference MVP while the “Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy” will be given to the MVP of the Western Conference Finals.

It not only will honor two players that helped the league become what it is today, but it also may provide those interested in making a wager another future bet to consider.

The league’s announcement Thursday did not immediately prompt oddsmakers to create betting lines for either award. DraftKings Sportsbook, for example, continued to have only their NBA Finals MVP future on the board. FanDuel Sportsbook also did not have those lines, instead sticking with the team to win both the Eastern and Western Conference, along with the Finals MVP.

But bettors would think there is a possibility sportsbooks will come around in making those odds whether it be next week as the 2021-22 conference championship matchups are determined or in the future as popularity and awareness grows around the award. The Finals MVP market has prompted bettors to place wagers since the postseason started with regular-season awards like NBA MVP, Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year all eliciting wagers.

There certainly is no shortage of bets to be made with sportsbooks listing prices on sports like darts, cricket and table tennis. Perhaps the NBA’s Conference Finals MVP is the next on the list.