Basketball’s fast-paced nature yields an intense game full of excitement both on and off the court. When the NBA announced its newest in-season tournament, the NBA Cup, the association needed a trophy that mirrored the tournament’s significance and excitement.
For one, the NBA Cup trophy had to be visually striking across all settings. The eye-catching trophy has become a visual anchor, marking a major focus for the NBA, appearing in photos from courtside to the locker room and making the rounds on social media.
A New Kind of Trophy
To fit the NBA aesthetic, the association needed to work with someone who could translate what the game truly stands for into tangible form. Since 1977, the organization has worked with Tiffany and Co. on the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Created by Tiffany & Co. in collaboration with artist Victor Solomon, the 35‑pound cup is designed to make the midseason event feel like a full-on championship moment the instant it is raised.
According to Tiffany & Co.’s website, the Los Angeles–based Solomon and the designer were asked to build something that felt as aspirational as June’s championship trophies, but built for a shorter, faster tournament.
The Look
The resulting trophy is a 23‑inch‑tall, 35‑pound cup, crafted at the Tiffany & Co. workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The trophy blends classic silversmithing with contemporary sculpture. Much like Tiffany’s trademark jewelry, it features several stylish appointments, including a sterling-silver structure with select areas of 24‑karat gold vermeil, black ceramic, black coloring, and a deep, dark-colored base.
By the Numbers
Beyond its appearance, the NBA Cup features several subtle elements that reference key aspects of the game. For example, the trophy’s 23‑inch height nods to 2023, the year of the tournament’s debut. Meanwhile, the three-tier base signifies the three knockout rounds that lead from quarterfinals to the Las Vegas title game.
Carved into the cup’s structure is a stylized net with 30 distinct openings. Those openings represent each franchise that starts the tournament chasing the same prize; lastly, the eight prong-like forms atop the trophy reference the eight teams that advance from group play.