The NBA Finals this season will pit the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks, with Game 1 tipping off in San Antonio on Wednesday. Both teams' home arenas, Frostbank Center and Madison Square Garden, will feature the same Finals-specific floor design.

It's worth noting that this is the first time the Larry O'Brien Trophy logo has returned to the center court design since the 2009 NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic; and the words "The Finals" have reappeared at the Finals since 2014. Furthermore, the league began using the words "Finals" at the Finals in 1989, changed to a combination of the words and the trophy logo in 2004, and displayed the trophy logo in the center of the court from 2005 to 2009.

In recent years, fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of visual atmosphere at the NBA Finals via social media. While the league has its own dedicated arena designs for events like the NBA Cup, the Finals has long lacked a unified, distinctive visual identity. This season, the arena design has been adjusted accordingly, with the championship trophy logo returning to the center circle and being integrated with the branding elements of each team.


Image source: Internet