The Los Angeles Lakers dedicated their 2019-20 season to the memory of the late, great Kobe Bryant. Accordingly, their championship rings feature a detailed tribute to the Laker legend.
The most expensive ring in NBA history, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, was designed by Jason Arasheben, aka Jason of Beverly Hills, who also designed the jewelry for the franchise's 16th title in 2010 — Kobe Bryant's fifth with the Lakers.
The development of the ring was delayed due to the pandemic, but Arasheben's final product is not only beautiful, but is full of “Easter eggs” referencing numerous aspects of the unprecedented 2019-20 season and playoff run.
In honor of Kobe Bryant, there's a Mamba snake behind each player's number on the .95 carat ring. The ring also features a removable top to reveal the numbers of retired Lakers, emphasizing Bryant's 8 and 24.
“We created a removable top that exposes the rafters that are up in Staples Center with [jerseys of] all of the retired Laker greats, with a special emphasis put on Kobe's No. 8 and No. 24 jersey, and it's set on a snakeskin-texture background,” said Arasheben.”
Designer @JasonofBH finished the Lakers championship rings in just four weeks with two goals in mind: storytelling and sizzle, via @mcten.
Full story: https://t.co/UyUn44bpxp pic.twitter.com/UOSoDHoR3L
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) December 24, 2020
Among other details, the .95 carats recognize the days the Lakers spent in the bubble at Disney World. The 17 purple amethyst stones represent the 17 titles in franchise history.
You can take a closer look at the Lakers' exquisite rings here.
After receiving his fourth championship ring on Tuesday night, LeBron James posted a heartfelt message on Instagram about Bryant's noticeable absence from the ceremony.
“What I felt last night when I grabbed that ring from the case. Love and miss you my brother!!!! #Mama4Life,” James captioned.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJmT9rAERk/?utm_source=ig_embed
Kobe Bryant will always be a part of the Lakers, an obvious truth everyone can easily grasp. The more precise reality is that Kobe Bryant, even in death, will always be linked to the 2020 Lakers, who went through the wilderness in the Orlando bubble and fought not just for themselves, but for the iconic Laker they had lost months earlier.
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