For the first time in its history, the NBA added some spice and life to the regular season. Twice a week, the energy levels went beyond the meters. An early access to a playoff environment for all the 30 teams. Everyone motivated by a mutual desire, to win the newest gold on offer – the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. The ambiance of the recent quarterfinal matchups showed the initiative is flying towards becoming a remarkable success. It has set a new standard for competing, adding significance to regular season games which were slowly losing it’s quality.

The last two rounds of the tournament will play in a city renowned for its sports craze – Las Vegas. Recently, the NBA unveiled its lineup of trophies for the In-Season tournament. Along with an MVP title for the best player in such games, they gave a glimpse at the NBA Cup. It’s another elegant creation by Tiffany & Co. who are also responsible for designing the iconic Larry O’Brien trophy.

But which one scales above the other on the attractiveness scale? Let’s take a look at the history and details of each trophy.

The NBA In-Season tournament trophy is finally here

We are closing in on the penultimate and ultimate showdowns in Sin City. With the roars only amplifying with each game, the fans and players can now see what they are playing for. The glorious NBA Cup and In-Season Tournament winner medals will be awarded to the winners of the Finals in Las Vegas.

The trophy has a black and gold silhouette. The black undertone symbolizes elegance and sophistication. On the other hand, the gold body is a testament to the family of NBA trophies. The 35-pound creation stands at 23 inches marking its inaugural year. The crown fo the NBA Cup is a half-cut basketball or a cup that pays its respects to the multitude of international cups that follow the trademark cup design. Eight prongs support the cup denoting the teams that will compete in the knockout stages of the completion. They also showcase a link to diamond rings.

The base of the NBA Cup is a combination of the Western and Eastern conference championship bases. It is detailed with 30 net openings for all the teams participating in the competition.

Fans were mesmerized by the story behind the varied details on the trophy.

“This thing is beautiful” 

“The beautiful cup”

“We’re now at the real deal” 

These are some of the positive comments the devoted fans left. Their anticipations are upscaling as we close in on the Finals in Las Vegas. All are wondering what else is there to see. How much more thrilling can the In-Season tournament get?

The Larry O’Brien trophy – NBA’s ultimate prize

The NBA’s In-Season tournament would have never existed if it wasn’t for the playoffs. It’s the entire purpose behind teams bruising and fighting for 82 games in a season – to reach the postseason. It is all done to be named the champions. In other words, the inspiration that saw all-time greats solidify themselves as megastars is the Larry O’Brien trophy.

In terms of impact, there really isn’t any comparison. Named after the third commissioner, the trophy is the gold above all. Attaining it is equivalent to finding invaluable treasure after digging for years. All the 30 teams are in the conquest, but only one can be called champion. Similar to the In-Season trophy, this has its own history.

It was first introduced in 1977, succeeding the Walter Brown trophy. It boasts a portrait of a ball falling into the net, the core principle of basketball. For the first 75 years, it was all gold to exaggerate its royalty status. However, at the NBA’s 75th anniversary, we saw a few tweaks.

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The modern-day trophy weighs 30 pounds, twice more than its predecessor. Additionally, the gold vermeil is masked by sterling silver to highlight the seams on the basketball and the net. Tiffany & Co. also moved the configurations forward to signify the NBA looking ahead at its future. The previous rectangle base is now a two-layered disc formation. Above are the names of the first 75 champions of the NBA. The bottom smaller disc has a place for the next 25 winners until the NBA turns 100 years old.

Which one is more attractive

We have faced a situation where you prefer something new. A new phone is released and we quickly develop a yearning to have it. After some while of using it, the realization kicks in – ‘the old one was just as good’. That’s the case with a comparison between the In-Season Tournament trophy and the Larry O’Brien.

The NBA Cup’s design is slick, it is clean and it is much more sophisticated. It appeals to the current generation, who like a story behind every detail. So in terms of physical attractiveness, I would say the NBA Cup is superiorly designed. However, when it comes to desire, nothing can ever top the Larry O’Brien.

The history behind the chase for the ultimate mantle in basketball can never be topped. So no matter how pretty the NBA Cup might be, players will always choose the Larry O’Brien.

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