Today’s a historic day for Toronto. As the crowds swell and clamor for a view of of the champions, the Toronto Raptors on their way to Nathan Phillips Square with their winning trophy in hand in the streets of Toronto, here’s a little history on how the NBA trophy made its way to the city (for the very first time).
The Larry O’Brien trophy — created in 1978 and renamed after a former NBA commissioner in 1984 — is larger than a newborn at nearly 16 pounds and a height of about 24 inches. While the presence of the regulation-size basketball in the shiny vermeil finish is obvious, the ball stands on a podium etched to resemble a basketball net. Following last week’s game, today for the first time ever, the trophy will bear the Toronto Raptors name.
This year’s trophy was created by craftspeople Tiffany Makers, a production facility run by Tiffany & Co., who also crafted trophies for the NBA MVP as well as the NBA Eastern and Western Conference champions.
