NBA Championship Trophy Coming to St. Pete

Tampa Bay area residents who want to see the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy for themselves will get a chance courtesy of St. Petersburg’s own Marreese Speights.

The 2-foot-tall, 14 1/2-pound trophy will be on display at Childs Park Recreation Center, 4301 13th Ave. S, on Saturday, the city announced Thursday. Fans can check it out from 1 to 3 p.m.

Speights, a former Gibbs High and Admiral Farragut Academy student, will also be on hand during that time. He is also a former Florida Gator who plays the power forward position for the championship-winning Golden State Warriors. The team took the trophy in June.

Speights is one of only 41 players to have won both college and pro national championships. He did so with the Gators in 2006 and Warriors this summer, the city says.

The trophy itself is quite a sight to see, the city wrote in an email to media. It is made of sterling silver and has a 24-karat gold overlay. Featuring a 9-inch basketball on top, the trophy, made by Tiffany & Co. each year, is valued at $13,500. Winning teams get to keep their trophies each year after a tour of player hometowns is completed.

Photo courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg