Who is Larry O'Brien? Why NBA Finals trophy is named after former league commissioner

At one time or another, every kid who has picked up a basketball has had the same dream: to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

The NBA Finals trophy represents the most sought-after piece of hardware in the sport. It is the ultimate goal for players at every level of competition around the world, and the act of lifting it has become synonymous with greatness on the hardwood. 

The design itself is iconic. A simple yet powerful representation of a ball hanging on the rim of a basket. It has also been a part of some of the greatest sports photographs of all time. Who could forget the image of Michael Jordan brought to tears while cradling it for the first time?

But while the trophy itself is well-known around the world, the man who shares a name with it is much less famous. Many members of the newest generation of basketball fans may even have no idea who Larry O'Brien is. 

Here's everything you need to know about the former NBA commissioner who the NBA Finals trophy is named after:

Who is Larry O'Brien?

Larry O'Brien was an American politician who served as the commissioner of the NBA from 1975 to 1984. 

O'Brien was born in 1917 in Springfield, Mass. — the same city in which the sport of basketball was invented in 1891. The son of a Democratic Party leader, O'Brien became involved in politics at a young age. After earning his law degree in 1942, he became a political strategist who oversaw election campaigns for candidates in his home state. 

O'Brien was appointed by John F. Kennedy in 1952 to serve as the director of his U.S. Senate campaign. Kennedy went on to win the election, and O'Brien later served in the same role during JFK's successful campaign for president in 1960. The two had a close relationship, and O'Brien was even traveling in the motorcade when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. 

After leaving the world of politics, O'Brien was appointed NBA commissioner in 1975, becoming the third commissioner in league history.

During his time in charge, he oversaw the merger between the NBA and ABA in 1976 as the Nuggets, Spurs, Pacers and Nets made the switch to the NBA. He negotiated television contracts that helped bring a new level of exposure to the sport and grow its audience nationwide. He also oversaw the adoption of the three-point field goal in 1979, a decision which ended up changing the game forever.

When he retired from the position in 1984, the NBA paid tribute to his immense contributions to the sport by renaming the NBA Finals Trophy in his honor. It has held his name ever since. 

O'Brien passed away in 1990, at the age of 73. But his impacts on the world of basketball continue to be felt to this day. 

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How the Larry O'Brien Trophy got its name

The original NBA championship trophy was known simply as the NBA Finals Trophy, a name it held from the league's inception in 1949 until 1964.

In 1977, the design of the trophy changed from an old-fashioned cup to the familiar ball and basket that has remained in place ever since. Here's a look at the previous trophy that was in use between 1949 and 1976. 

The @warriors preview center showcases all of their #NBA championship hardware, including the 1974-75 season. Kinda like the old design better than current trophy. pic.twitter.com/lMaTtOPy5h

— Don Muret (@breakground) September 5, 2019

Between 1964 and 1984, it was called the Walter A. Brown Trophy after the original owner of the Boston Celtics. Brown was also one of the driving forces behind the merger between the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League in 1949, which resulted in the creation of the original NBA.

In 1984, it was renamed for O'Brien in the same year that he stepped down as league commissioner.

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Larry O'Brien Trophy winners

The Lakers have won the most Larry O'Brien trophies since it was renamed in 1984. Here's the full list of the teams that have lifted the trophy through the years: