It’s been just about a month since the Boston Celtics’ season came to an abrupt, premature ending. Even with the 30ish days that have passed, there’s seemingly a new reason why the inexplicable collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers stings even more.
Monday’s reveal of the Larry O’Brien trophy painted on the San Antonio Spurs’ floor at Frost Bank Arena was absolutely crippling.
The stage is set 📍 pic.twitter.com/Gao3Bud60o
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 1, 2026
Maybe it’s nostalgia, but seeing the trophy and Finals decor as part of the hardwood design for the first time in 17 years just makes this feel like a special time. Growing up, it was always so cool to tune into games in June and see the added flair that came with the championship round.
Seeing the gold trophy surrounded by Celtics green paint on the parquet was undeniably asthetically pleasing. The colors absolutely popped.
I’m absolutely furious that the league decided to bring this back after the two Celtics NBA Finals appearances in three seasons.
I'm furious that Adam Silver (presented by @YouTubeTV) robbed me of this in 2022 and 2024 https://t.co/27Zn8I4z6o pic.twitter.com/o8XaZlVbhC
— Sam LaFrance (@SamLaFranceNBA) June 1, 2026
Instead, we were all treated to the lovely, fake, projected YouTube TV ads that were added to the broadcasts on ABC. Fans and media who were actually in the building saw the same court that they’d been starting at all season long.
After years of hoopheads clamoring for the league to bring the fanfare back to the Finals, they finally decided to oblige last summer.
The Celtics missed a huge opportunity to at least get in the Knicks' way
We all knew this was something the league had planned to do this season from the jump. Having forgotten about it until this past weekend, it reinvigorated my rage and disappointment about the way the season came to end.
Would the Celtics have gotten past the Knicks in the second round? Probably not, especially with how well New York has shot the ball during this playoff run. But they probably would’ve given the Eastern Conference champs the best run for their money of any team that they played.
There’s been plenty of discussion about the difficulty of the Knicks’ path to their first NBA Finals in 27 years, but it’s no fault of their own. They’ve dominated every team in their path.
With that being said, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the saddest excuse for an Eastern Conference Finalist that I’ve ever seen. The Celtics and Detroit Pistons should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for enabling New York to get through the East without any resistance. Both teams were in line to see the Knicks and neither obliged.
Instead, they’ll each get to enjoy seeing the larger than life Larry O’Brien trophy painted on the Madison Square Garden court from their respective couches.
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