In 1977, Tiffany & Co. created its first trophy for the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the NBA Championship Trophy.
Today, the esteemed jeweler crafts a total of nine NBA trophies and two Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) trophies. Recently, Tiffany & Co. partnered with artist Victor Solomon to update the entire NBA trophy collection in 2022.
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What is the NBA trophy called?
The newly redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy, which now stands 25.5 inches tall and weighs 29 pounds, features a regulation-size basketball. This update provides space for the names of the next 25 years of champions and includes the names of all past winners on a two-level cylindrical base.
It was initially named the Walter A. Brown Trophy, before being renamed in 1984 in honor of former NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien, who served from 1975 to 1984.
O’Brien had also served as the United States Postmaster General under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1968.
Change of design
The current design, featuring a basketball atop a hoop and basket, debuted in 1977. The Portland Trail Blazers, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, were the first recipients of the redesigned trophy.
Unlike its predecessor, the updated trophy is given permanently to each winning team, similar to the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy and MLB’s Commissioner’s Trophy. The Philadelphia 76ers were the last team to win the Brown Trophy in 1983.
As part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary celebrations, the trophy underwent another redesign. One significant change was replacing the square foundation with two round discs, making the trophy easier to hold and lift.
The top disc lists the NBA’s first 75 championship teams from 1947 to 2021, while the bottom disc will display the next 25 champions from 2022 to 2046. This redesign also features a ball and net slanted forward, symbolizing the league’s progressive vision.
