The Larry O'Brien Trophy

When a team wins the National Basketball Association Championship, they are awarded a large, shiny trophy. This trophy is called the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy. This trophy was made of nearly fifteen pounds of sterling silver and vermeil and overlain with twenty-four karat gold. This large trophy stands about two feet tall. The design was specifically made to resemble a basketball going into a basket. The ball on the trophy, which measures nine inches, is the same size as a regular basketball.

This trophy is estimated to be worth over $13,000. The trophy is manufactured by the Tiffany & co. Silver Shop each year. The winning team gets to permanently keep the trophy, which is displayed in the teams arena with an engravement.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy was created in 1978 to replace the Walter A. Brown Trophy. The name of the trophy remained Walter A. Brown until 1984, when it was re-named for the former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien.

The NBA has been promoted to increase the identifiably of the trophy. The NBA has tried to compare the trophy to the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup. Therefore, after the 2004 championship of the Detroit Pistons, the trophy was toured all over the state of Michigan. This marked the first time the trophy has been showed around and showcased. In 2005, a tour was launched in which the trophy was brought to different cities for autograph and photo sessions. The trophy was escorted by many former famous players, such as Julius Erving and Bill Russel. In 2007, the NBA created a headquarters on the video game Second Life in which players could get a virtual photo taken. Then, in 2008, the trophy made its way to Hong Kong for the first time it traveled to Asia.

The winner of the NBA finals seven game series at the end of the season is awarded the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The Washington Bullets were the first team to win the award after it was created. They beat the Seattle SuperSonics in a seven game series. In 1984, the Boston Celtics were the first team to win this award after its name was changed. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to three. The trophy has been won six times by the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, which is the highest amount of times a team has won it. In 2008, the Boston Celtics won the award.

Wikipedia, Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy