Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy first appeared in 1977 when the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers. Before that year, the championship trophy carried a different name entirely and was called the Walter A. Brown Trophy until the league decided to change it in 1984.
Victor Solomon designed the current version of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy for the NBA's 75th anniversary season. Tiffany & Co manufactures the piece which stands two feet tall and weighs 15.5 pounds using sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay.
Seventeen teams have won the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy since its introduction in 1977. The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record with eleven titles spanning from 1980 through 2020 while Chicago Bulls follow with six championships between 1991 and 1998.
From the 2004, 05 season through the 2008, 09 season the NBA used a painted replica of the trophy at center court during finals games. Players cited slipperiness issues with the trophy and other decals as reasons for its removal after 2009.
Public backlash grew when the physical trophy was missing from center court during the 2025 NBA Finals because a digital hologram replaced the physical object during that series. Commissioner Adam Silver announced plans to return the actual O'Brien trophy to center court following that event with an official return scheduled for the 2026 NBA Finals alongside the Finals script logo.