The current design, depicting a basketball over a hoop and basket, was first awarded in 1977[1] still under its original name, which was changed in honor of former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien who served from 1975 to 1984.

Before joining the NBA, O'Brien was the United States postmaster general under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1968.

[3] The Boston Celtics were the inaugural winners of the renamed trophy, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in the 1984 NBA Finals.

The resigned trophy's ball and net are also slanted to the right, or forward, to represent the league's continued desire to be progressive.

[4] The trophy is two feet tall and is made of 15.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay.

[14] In August 2007, the trophy traveled to Hong Kong for the first time as part of the NBA Madness Asia Tour.

[15] Leading up to the 2023 NBA Finals, the trophy went on a "bucket list", traveling to various locations across sports and entertainment, as well as meeting numerous celebrities.