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Michael Bay thinks it's a little over the top. Paris Hilton was offended by its shameless self promotion.

It's the Larry O'Brien trophy - and it's taking over the NBA finals.

By all means, try to avert your gaze. You can't. It's everywhere. During pre-game introductions, two giant replicas stand in the teams' way of taking the court, bathed in a hue of fireside-like light.

During the game is no different. A giant child-like drawing of basketball's holy grail nearly swallows the Boston Celtics center logo. Both jerseys - Lakers flavor and Celtics - have small stitched emblems. Just off Causeway street, another giant replica sits.

They are everywhere! It's the invasion of the inferior trophys! Body snatchers they are not, but they've snatched enough of my attention throughout.

I just wonder if basketball executives are aware of their attempts to undermine the legitimacy of their own trophy. Do they really feel it necessary to saturate us with imagery of their championship wares?

It's a vain, feeble attempt to pair basketball's championship with the likes of the Stanley Cup and the Commissioner's Trophy. Are cartoonish drawings and large replications really befitting of promoting a championship trophy?

If fans bring their own replicas, it's one thing, for the NBA to shove imagery down our throats is another.

This year, the L.O.B. trophy turned 30 year old. Maybe a mid-life crisis is to blame. It's had it's historic moments, sure, but a reminder of it's shape and size don't need to be visible every ten feet.

It's bad enough that the NBA has players and coaches abandon all thoughts of karma and voodoo to pose for pictures with it. Now players get to wear bad fortune.

Any given player may wearing up to two or three per game. The Celtics feature one on top of the shoulder of the warm-up jersey and one on the shoulder of the playing jersey. Kevin Garnett pounds his head against an emblem before he goes to work against the purple and gold. The trophy is checkered behind players and coaches alike at post-game press conferences. Oversaturation is the name of the game.

Necessary? Not at all. We know what it looks like.

The NHL may be lightyears away from the fanbase and support that this year's finals have received, but they feel no need to burn the image of the Stanley Cup into our eyes. In fact, when the cup made a pre-emptive appearence in this year's game five in Detroit, it was frowned upon. They don't need reminders. It makes the journey sweeter to see it for the first time.

Can we give basketball's two most prolific franchises some credit? They know what they're playing for.

The players know glory can't be stitched onto a jersey, drawn onto center court, or inflated on the sidewalk. Only one team can be called champions and there's only one actual trophy to go around.