The NBA Finals are in full swing and the winner will be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the series. But who is Larry O’Brien?

The Larry O’Brien Trophy named after Larry O’Brien since 1984, honors the NBA’s third commissioner.

After two games from San Francisco no team has the edge in the race to four wins in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors are tied at a game a piece as the series heads east. Both teams are now just three wins away from being crowned kings of the NBA, and hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

O’Brien made name in the world of politics

While it may not be as popular, and its name may not be as renowned as the Lomardi Trophy, most NBA fans know what the piece of hardware given out at the end of the NBA Finals is called.

What many probably don’t know is that Larry O’Brien didn’t dedicate his life to basketball. In fact there are no records of O’Brien ever even having played a serious game of basketball in his life. In fact, the Springfield, Massachusetts native made his name in politics.

He served the Democratic Party for over two decades as one of their top electoral strategists. He was Postmaster General of the United States and was named to President Lyndon Johnson’s cabinet in the mid 60′s. O’Brien was also one of the top camping advisors to the Kennedy’s and George McGovern in the 60′s and 70′s.

O’Brien named commissioner from 1975-1984

With his legacy cemented in the world of politics, and his leadership abilities unquestioned, the NBA came knocking in a particularly fragile time. They named him the third commissioner of the league, replacing J. Walter Kennedy in 1975.

In his time as commissioner, he was the driving force behind the ABA-NBA merger which would eventually grow the league from 18 teams to 23. O’Brien also negotiated a multimillion dollar TV deal with CBS that would bring the league to new heights, and reach more American’s living rooms with greater ease. Not only did the television audiences grow under his time as commissioner, but attendance at the stadiums skyrocketed as well. Gate receipts for teams around the league doubled and the NBA’s popularity reached new heights. One of the most important rule changes made in O’Brien’s time was the introduction of the three point field goal in 1979.

Before there was a Larry O’Brien trophy, the NBA would award it’s champion the Walter A. Brown Trophy. That was a piece of hardware that was only lent to the winning teams until the following year where the new winners would hold on to it, much like the Stanley Cup. That trophy lasted from 1947 until 1976.

Blazers first to win the O’Brien trophy

In 1977 the league came out with a new, modified trophy named after their commissioner Larry O’Brien. The first team to hoist the newly made over hardware was Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers who beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Since then the Los Angeles Lakers have lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy more than any franchise since the ‘77 season, having won 11 titles in that time.

The Celtics and the Warriors will battle it out over the next couple weeks to get the right to be presented the trophy at series’ end. Either the Celtics or the Warriors will get to lift will be the newest, most modern version of the trophy as it has gone through a make over this year to celebrate the NBA’s 75th anniversary.

Victor Solomon and Tiffany & Co. have teamed up to create and remodel most of the trophies given out this NBA season. We saw the All-Star break feature the brand new Kobe Bryant trophy awarded to the games’ MVP. We have seen the Conference Finals MVP trophies introduced this season with Steph Curry winning the Magic Johnson trophy for MVP of the Western Conference Finals, and Jayson Tatum win the Larry Bird trophy as the Easter Conference Finals MVP.

Game 3 from Boston: Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET

Now both of those stars will be looking to lift the newest and most sought after piece of hardware in the NBA season. While there are slight modifications to the Larry O’Brien, Solomon said that the silhouette of the trophy is too iconic to be changed. Instead it has just been tilted the slightest bit forward and there has been some minor upgrades to the detail of the net.

While the look may be slightly adjusted, what the trophy means to the players and the fans of these two franchises will not change. With the series tied at 1-1 the Celtics and Warriors are in a desperate sprint to four wins in the NBA Finals.

Source: AS

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