After years of fans begging on social media for the NBA to bring back the Finals logo to the court, the league finally made the right move.
The NBA is getting a long-overdue Finals matchup, with two of their most historic teams going to war: the small-market, dynastic San Antonio Spurs will take on the New York Knicks, the biggest market in the league and a perennial loser looking to reshape the narratives.
The Spurs and Knicks met in the Finals before, all the way back in 1999. That was San Antonio's first Finals appearance, and it was the last time New York made it that far. The Spurs won in five games, led by Tim Duncan.
In 2026, Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson will replace Duncan and Patrick Ewing, but the games might still have a "classic" feel to them. After years of begging, the NBA has finally given in to the fans' biggest request.
NBA to Bring Back Classic Finals Court
In recent years, there have been complaints that the pageantry of the NBA has been lacking. Players are PR-trained and nonchalant, the media seems to put less focus on the games and moments that shape the playoffs, and the postseason is treated as an extension of the regular season, not as a marquee event.
With the Knicks looking to crack a championship drought well over five decades long and the Spurs looking to reclaim their spot among the NBA's best, the stage is set, and the lights are bright. As a result, the NBA has decided to bring back the "Larry O'Brien Court."
The championship trophy has not graced center court since 2009. The league cited player complaints and slipping caused them to remove it, but the guady NBA Cup courts sort of killed that claim.
Four of the Spurs' five championships were played on a classic-looking court, and they're hoping to make it six titles this year, tying the Chicago Bulls for the fourth most in NBA history.
Fans have long asked for the league to bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to center court, and the league finally listened.
With a classic feel and the weight of the series always visible at midcourt, the 2026 Finals should be a return to grace for the NBA. In recent seasons, the league has introduced the NBA Cup and Play-In Tournament, hoping to capture more magic in a bottle.
Instead, they should have just played the hits all along.
