Archived Thread

NFT: Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy - Why Him?

Trainmaster : 3/21/2017 8:21 pm

I'm not a big NBA fan (long, long suffering Knicks fan). I don't know the history of the trophy and whether there was much debate when it was renamed. From Wiki:

Quote:

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

Compared to the Stanley Cup (tradition back over 100 years) or the Lombardi Trophy (Lombardi being an outstanding 7 championship winning coach), the choice of Larry O'Brien to name the NBA trophy after seems underwhelming.

Did they not consider:
James Naismith (inventor of basketball)?
Red Auerbach (9 championships)?
Or even Bill Russell?

Larry O'Brien seems like a poor choice; what am I missing?

Wikipedia: Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy - ( New Window )

By my count, Lombardi didn't win 7 championships as Head coach...

kinard : 3/22/2017 1:39 pm : link

He won 3 NFL Championships and 2 Super Bowls.

Don't get me wrong, 5 ain't bad but we're all about truthfulness and accuracy here at BBI

Read Larry O'Brien's Wikipedia entry next

Giantology : 3/22/2017 4:04 pm : link

He did a lot for this country and the NBA.

You're Right

Trainmaster : 3/23/2017 2:56 pm : link

5 Championships.

When O'Brien took over the commish job,

Section331 : 3/23/2017 3:17 pm : link

the NBA was rife with drug abuse. Players were pretty openly playing while strung out, the league was in dire straits. Many of its best players were going into rehab. O'Brien's tenure was far from perfect, but he was able to put in a no-drug policy, and the league flourished late in his reign (although that had more to do with 2 guys named Bird and Magic, but I digress).

He's a politician

LCtheINTMachine : 3/23/2017 4:34 pm : link

They always get things named after him.

Plus he's from Massachusetts, born near the Hall of Fame, he's Irish and a Celtics guy. So he had a lot going for him. His genius was to tell professional athletes they shouldn't do drugs. Incredible brilliance that was. Thus the trophy is named after him.