Larry O'Brien Trophy, Script Logos Reportedly Returning to NBA Finals Floor in 2026

The Larry O'Brien Trophy will once again adorn the court for the home team in the NBA Finals, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The NBA Finals' script logo will be painted onto the courts as well.

This comes after the league received criticism about lacking some of the finer touches, such as special designs on the court, in last year's Finals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.

From a visual standpoint, it was tough to separate Game 1 of the Finals from any other contest in the regular season. From Game 2 onwards, the NBA started digitally placing the championship trophy on the court.

That solution presented its own problems, and the colors were a little arresting on the broadcast.

The contrast was especially striking when comparing the NBA's approaches to the Finals and the in-season NBA Cup. It's very easy to discern when a cup game is happening because the courts are so distinctive.

The All-Star Game is the same story.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this past June the league pivoted away from having the Larry O'Brien Trophy at halfcourt because players found the decal to be slippery, per The Athletic's Sam Amick. He added that the Finals court design wasn't something that occupied his mind until the topic began organically gaining traction on social media.

"I'm nostalgic, as well, for certain things," he said. "And also, I think for a media-driven culture, whether it's people watching live or seeing those images on social media, it's nice when you're looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that trophy logo or some other indication that it's a special event. So, we'll look at it."

Assuming it doesn't jeopardize player safety, bringing the championship trophy and script logo to the Finals court was a no-brainer.