The imposing Larry O’Brien Award has returned.
The association revealed the court layouts for the NBA Championship series on Sunday evening, just a few days prior to the San Antonio Spurs welcoming the New York Knicks for the inaugural game of that particular series. An enormous painted award stands behind each squad’s emblem, and the conventional “Finals” lettering is depicted on a section of each court’s boundary.
The visual concept, which was initially reported in October, signifies the first instance since 2009 that the renowned trophy emblem has reappeared on the playing surface for the NBA Finals.
The trophy emblem has appeared only a handful of times in the NBA Finals. The 2005 NBA Finals, contested by the Spurs and the Detroit Pistons, marked the first occasion this logo was present. That particular design remained in use for half a decade, but was discontinued after the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic in 2009.
The Larry O’Brien Trophy is slated to reappear on NBA Finals courts this season, for the first time since 2009. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
Prior to 2005, teams featured on-court decals displaying a unique Finals insignia for that particular year. After 2009, the league began incorporating smaller trophy insignias over the subsequent years before they were entirely phased out.
There have been a few exceptions in more recent times. In 2017, for instance, the Cleveland Cavaliers positioned a modest trophy emblem behind their own at the court’s corners. The NBA Finals in 2020 also featured a standard decal when the event transpired at Walt Disney World within the COVID-19 confinement zone.
“I possess a sense of nostalgia, likewise, for specific elements,” stated NBA commissioner Adam Silver last year regarding the prospective alteration. “And moreover, I believe for a culture driven by media, whether individuals are observing live or encountering those visuals on social platforms, it’s pleasing when one revisits memorable moments and they distinguish themselves because you discern that trophy insignia or some other indicator that it’s an extraordinary occasion. So, we shall examine it.”
The Knicks prevailed over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They will enter the Finals riding an 11-game winning streak. The Knicks have not secured a championship since 1973.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs concluded their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday evening. They have not participated in the NBA Finals since 2014. The Spurs are scheduled to host Games 1 and 2 at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. The Knicks will then host Games 3 and 4 the following week.
While the court’s aesthetic will not influence the actual games, the classic appearance is certainly poised to merely enhance what is anticipated to be a captivating series over the coming weeks.
