Hey NBA, did you think we wouldn’t notice these abysmal digital logos?

When the first NBA Finals game kicked off last week, fans couldn’t help but notice one thing was missing from the court – a finals insignia. It wasn’t long until they took to social media, lamenting for the iconic imagery of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, or even just an NBA Finals script decal – anything to make the Finals court feel, well… final.

Keen to appease fans, the NBA found a creative solution to the missing design, digitally slapping a janky Finals logo onto the court for at-home viewers. Problem solved, right? Well, not quite, as the low-res logo was instantly ripped apart by fans. (If you ever needed evidence of how important sports logos are to supporters, here it is.)

The Game 2 broadcast hit screens with the addition of two blurry Larry O’Brien trophies superimposed onto the court, which fans instantly mocked. While there should be points for effort, the execution of the logos was so laughably bad that it couldn’t be ignored. “This is so budget,” one fan on X commented, while another added, “What an embarrassment, the league used to have aura.”

Quick to react to the feedback from fans, the botched Larry O’Brien’s were soon replaced by a less visually violating replacement. While not quite the grand Finals branding that fans had become accustomed to, the NBA Finals script logo was far more lowkey, and most seemed pleased with the speedy replacement.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, league commissioner Adam Silver claimed that the logos were redacted due to fears around increased “slipperiness” on the court. While the digital solution was a clever alternative in theory, the sloppy execution only served to bemuse fans. Despite the questionable quality of the Larry O’Brien clipart, it’s clear that the NBA is listening to fans’ suggestions, hopefully resulting in a better solution for future games.

For more NBA news, check out Angel Reese’s intricate new Reebok logo or take a look at Tyrese Haliburton’s stylish new brand identity.

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