Tiffany and Co. has manufactured NBA trophies since 1977 — and the company’s latest line is adding some stylistic flourishes to commemorate the league’s 75th season.
On Thursday, the league announced a new lineup of NBA hardware, plus a new look for the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy that includes sterling silver on the seams of the ball and on the net.
“We wanted to explore and start a new 75 years and bring some aesthetic consistency to that, and have some meaning behind all the trophies we had,” said Christopher Arena, the NBA’s head of on-court and brand partnerships.
The league also introduced new Conference MVPs trophies named after Magic Johnson (Western) and Larry Bird (Eastern).
Johnson and Bird are largely credited with boosting the league’s popularity, image, and revenue in the 1980s. Their rivalry, which began when the two faced off in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, carried over to the NBA, including three legendary clashes in the Finals.
The spotlight might be on the trophy’s new look right now, but in a couple of weeks, attention will turn to which team lifts it.
