The NBA championship trophy, also known as the Larry O’Brien trophy has been part of the league since 1977. Like any other major league in the US, the NBA has its own championship trophy, which seems to be made of pure gold.
The look of the prize is motivating enough for players to earn it, as it symbolizes the team’s dedication toward winning a championship. Not only that, the trophy went through a few modifications over the years, with the latest one added in 2022.
Prior to the Larry O’Brien trophy, the NBA handed out the Walter A. Brown trophy from 1947-1976. Though the league did not hand out new trophies each year. The Walter A. Brown trophy was passed down to the winners each year. It was until 1977 that the NBA released a new trophy for the champions at the time, the Portland Trail Blazers. The Larry O’Brien trophy does look expensive at first, though the real value might surprise a lot of fans.
The Larry O’Brien trophy went through major modifications in 2022
In 2022, the trophy was added with two stacked discs, with the upper disc showcasing the name of the previous NBA champions. Whereas the lower disc displays the name of the trophy holder. The Golden State Warriors were the first team to have this version of the trophy themselves.
The trophy’s making is quite interesting, as no gold is used at first. About 16 pounds of sterling silver is used to make the trophy. A 24-karat gold overlay is then used to give the trophy its shiny look.
Weighing around 16 pounds and standing at 2 feet tall, the trophy’s ball resembles the size of a real-life basketball. Still, as luxurious as it looks, the trophy isn’t worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The estimated cost of the trophy is around $13,500. Tiffany and Co. have been making the Larry O’Brien trophies for more than 40 years. The updated cost of the trophy is not yet known.
Though the trophy is not made of pure gold, as fans would expect, it certainly does give the look. Tiffany and Co. also named two new trophies in 2022. The Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award and the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy.
Both the trophies are unique as well, with Steph and Tatum being the first holders of both awards. It will be interesting to see whether the league would add more awards for postseason basketball in the future.