Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
Sport	Basketball
Competition	NBA playoffs
Given for	Winning the NBA Finals
History
First award	1977
First winner	Portland Trail Blazers
Most wins	Los Angeles Lakers (11)
Most recent	Oklahoma City Thunder (1)

The Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy is the special award given each year to the team that wins the NBA Finals. This is the final championship series in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The trophy used to be called the Walter A. Brown Trophy. It was renamed in 1984 to honor a former NBA leader.

The trophy shows a basketball over a hoop and net. It was first given out in 1977. Back then, it was known as the Walter A. Brown Trophy. In 1984, the trophy's name changed. This was to honor Larry O'Brien, who was the NBA's commissioner from 1975 to 1984. Before working for the NBA, O'Brien was the United States postmaster general. He served under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1968.

The Trophy's Journey: From Old to New

How the Trophy Changed Over Time

A brand new trophy was made for the 1977 NBA Finals. The first team to win this new trophy was the Portland Trail Blazers. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Unlike the older Walter A. Brown Trophy, this new trophy was given permanently to the winning team. A new one is made every single year. This is similar to other big sports awards. For example, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is given in the NFL. The Commissioner's Trophy is given in Major League Baseball.

The Philadelphia 76ers were the last team to win the old Brown Trophy. They won it in 1983 by beating the Los Angeles Lakers.

Renaming the Trophy in 1984

In 1984, the trophy was renamed the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. This was to honor Larry O'Brien. He was the NBA commissioner from 1975 to 1984. The Boston Celtics were the first team to win the newly named trophy. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in the 1984 NBA Finals.

A Fresh Look: The 75th Anniversary Design

The trophy's design changed again as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary season. The biggest change was replacing the old square base with two round discs. Victor Solomon, who designed the new trophy, thought the square base was hard to hold. The two discs are like the metal bands on the NHL's Stanley Cup.

The top disc shows the league's first 75 championship teams. These teams won from 1947 to 2021. The bottom disc will hold the names of the next 25 championship teams. These will be from 2022 to 2046. This will be just in time for the NBA's 100th anniversary. The basketball and net on the redesigned trophy are also tilted forward. This shows that the league always wants to keep moving forward.

What the Trophy Looks Like

The Larry O'Brien Trophy is two feet tall. It is made from 15.5 pounds of sterling silver. It also has vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay. The basketball on top is the same size as a real basketball. Artist Victor Solomon designed the trophy for the NBA's 75th anniversary. It is made by Tiffany & Co..

The winning team gets to keep the trophy forever. The year and the winning team's name are carved onto the trophy. These trophies are often shown off in the winning team's arena. There was one special case with the Houston Rockets. When the team was sold in 2017, the old owner kept their 1994 and 1995 trophies. So, the team asked Tiffany to make new copies of those trophies. These copies were shown to the public in September 2018.

Sharing the Trophy with Fans

The O'Brien trophy displayed for the 2005 NBA Legends Tour in the New York City NBA Store

The Larry O'Brien Trophy is very important. The NBA has been working hard to make it even more famous. They want it to be as well-known as the NHL's Stanley Cup. The trophy has appeared on logos for the NBA Finals.

After the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Finals in 2004, the trophy traveled around Michigan. This was the first time the trophy toured the winning team's state. In 2005, the NBA Legends Tour started in New York City. As part of this tour, the trophy was shown in many cities. Fans could take pictures and get autographs. Famous former players like Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joined the tour.

In May 2007, the NBA launched its headquarters in Second Life. This is a virtual reality world online. Fans could take pictures with the trophy in a special virtual room. In August 2007, the trophy visited Hong Kong for the first time. This was part of the NBA Madness Asia Tour. Before the 2023 NBA Finals, the trophy went on a "bucket list" trip. It visited different sports and entertainment places. It also met many famous people. This happened when new social media accounts were made just for the trophy itself.

Teams That Have Won the Trophy

This table lists the 17 teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. This includes trophies won before it was renamed in 1984. For a full list of all NBA champions, you can check out the List of NBA champions article.

See also

In Spanish: Trofeo Larry O'Brien para niños

• List of NBA champions