Why is the Larry O'Brien Trophy not on NBA Finals courts anymore? Deep diving the reason behind public outcry

The NBA Finals are off to a great start after an exciting game between the OKC Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. However, despite the series being the climax of the season, the courts for the occasion have appeared bland, noticeably missing the Larry O'Brien Trophy's decal.

Fans and past players have voiced their displeasure. Former player and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson joined the outcry on X, supporting "No Dunks" co-host J.E. Skeets, who shared an image of a hat reading “Put the Larry O’Brien Trophy back on the Finals court."

“Can I get one?”

The NBA Finals haven't seen a Larry O'Brien Trophy center court decal since the 2010 Finals between the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics. So, why exactly did the decals go away?

Before we get there, let's take it back to the origin story:

When did the NBA start using on-court decals for its Finals?

The league introduced individual Finals logos in 1986, using the original template for a decade before updating it in 1996. A version of the iconic font returned in 2022.

The 1989 Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Lakers was the first to feature on-court decals that displayed that year's Finals logo. The tradition lasted until 2004, when it was discontinued.

When was the Larry O'Brien logo at half court for the NBA Finals?

The Larry O'Brien Trophy made its debut as a decal during the 2005 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Pistons. It was used for the next four Finals until 2009, when the Orlando Magic faced the Lakers.

What happened next at the NBA Finals?

After the Larry O'Brien trophy decal was removed, the league reintroduced smaller on-court decals from 2010 to 1014. The Cleveland Cavaliers featured the trophy alongside two decals in the 2017 Finals, while the Bubble Finals in Orlando had a special half-court logo.

The LA Lakers and the Miami Heat kneel during the National Anthem before the start of the Game Six of the 2020 Finals - Source: Getty

From 2015-2024, the Finals lacked any decals on the court, bar those superimposed for TV viewers.

Why did the NBA remove the decals?

The league cited safety as the primary reason for removing court decals. It followed the NCAA, which removed them in 2012 and mandated that all courts across its divisions be consistent.

A league spokesman told "The Cauldron" in 2014:

“There were a lot of considerations taken into account in making this decision, including player safety. We decided to remove the playoffs logo from the court for a variety of reasons, including cleaning up the playing surface.”

Although the climax of the season is void of decals, the In-Season Tournament featured half-court trophy logos. All 30 teams had unique courts of various colours, and the success of the design didn't lead the league authority to change their stance on having one for the 2025 Finals.