Warriors 4-1 Cavaliers: KD’s First Ring and the O’Brien Trophy 🏀

Golden State beat Cleveland 4-1 in the NBA Finals — Kevin Durant’s first championship after his summer 2016 move. The Larry O’Brien Trophy lift is a study in modern team-sport trophy design.

O’Brien Trophy: A Basketball, Frozen Mid-Air

The Larry O’Brien Trophy renders a regulation basketball about to enter the rim — 24-karat gold over sterling silver, 7.4kg, 60cm tall. The frozen-action shape photographs as movement even in a static lift. For perpetual cups, consider whether your sport has a defining moment (a ball leaving a hand, a foot kicking) that can become the trophy silhouette.

New Trophy Every Year — Worth It?

Unlike most major sports, the NBA gifts the winning team a new O’Brien Trophy each year — they keep it permanently. Production cost is ~$13,500. For your own event, consider: do you want a single perpetual cup that returns each year, or annual keepers? Perpetual cups build narrative; annual keepers send the trophy home with the winner forever. Both work; the choice is strategic.