SAN ANTONIO — The NBA announced Sunday that the Larry O’Brien Trophy logo and “The Finals” script will return to the court for the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.
The league revealed the change through a social media post, confirming that the trophy logo will be painted at center court for games at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and Madison Square Garden in New York. The “The Finals” script logo will also appear on both sides of the court.
The championship series begins Wednesday in San Antonio.
The return marks the first time since the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic that the Larry O’Brien Trophy logo will appear at center court during the championship round.
The “The Finals” wordmark last appeared on the court during the 2014 NBA Finals between the Spurs and Miami Heat.
The NBA first introduced the Finals wordmark on championship courts in 1989. The league added the trophy logo in 2004 and featured it prominently at center court from 2005 through 2009 before discontinuing the design.
In recent years, fans have called for the return of special Finals court markings, noting that the league regularly uses customized courts for events such as NBA Cup games.
This year’s design will incorporate a new element by integrating the participating team’s branding with the center-court Larry O’Brien Trophy logo.