In honor of Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's decades-long reign as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, the Los Angeles Lakers gifted the Big Fella with a magnificent gold ring.

The ring, embedded with diamonds, features his iconic sky hook, jersey number (33), career points (38,387) and the number of years that he held the scoring record (38).

The Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA, possessing a poetic history that arguably no team in any sport can match. That only continued last Friday, when Lakers focal point LeBron James passed Kareem to become the league's all-time leading scorer.

LeBron will likely shatter the previous record, as Kareem did when he passed rival Wilt Chamberlain's record of 31,419 points. But more interesting is that, just as Abdul-Jabbar passed a former Lakers superstar to become the all-time leader, so did James.

Kareem, who came into the NBA as Lew Alcindor before changing his name during a time of political and spiritual revolutions, began his magnificent career with the Milwaukee Bucks. Just two years after changing his name, a 28-year-old Kareem landed with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, who lost Hall of Fame point guard Jerry West just two seasons prior, were looking to reclaim their dominance.

The rest was history, as Kareem and the Lakers would go on to win five championships during his time in Los Angeles.

One of the league's most prominent voices in the fight for civil rights both during and after his playing days, Abdul-Jabbar's legacy extends far beyond the court. Nonetheless, after spending 14 of his 20 career seasons with the Lakers, it's nice to see that the big man was honored appropriately by a franchise that would not be nearly as legendary without him.