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Historically, ice buckets were the celebratory token to celebrate NBA championships back in the day. It was only in the mid-50s when the league started to give out championship rings. Today, ring ceremonies are now the norm to honor NBA champions annually. In line with this, NBA champions receive a ring that's uniquely designed for the winners.
Thanks to the advancement of technology coupled with the emergence of talented craftsmen, even NBA championship ring designs can turn some heads. Not only do they have tremendous value as a sports memorabilia in the market, but the amount of meticulousness injected into the creation of a ring is satisfying at best. Furthermore, aesthetic-wise, there's simply a lot to admire in a small piece of jewelry that captures nothing but greatness. Here are 10 NBA championship rings designs, ranked.
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10. 2020 Los Angeles Lakers
The 2020 NBA title was certainly special. It was the first championship for the franchise since Kobe Bryant's 2010 run. The win was a silver lining as NBA fans grieved Bryant's passing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the ring had to have a design that justified the championship feat. In fact, the Lakers' 2020 championship ring has the most carats of diamonds in history.
9. 1955 Syracuse Nationals
Traditionally, the league didn't exactly give out championship rings. However, the 1955 Syracuse Nationals were an exception, as the players received them 60 years later. It's worth noting that the Nationals won their lone NBA championship in 1955, after beating the Fort Wayne Pistons, 92-91 in Game 7. Although rings were traditionally gold, this one was designed to bring back the nostalgic colors of the nationals.
8. 1990 Detroit Pistons
The Bad Boy Pistons certainly worked hard to achieve a back-to-back title. It required all of the players' blood, sweat, and tears, with Isiah Thomas named as the Finals MVP. The championship ring was a nod to the team's colors, and its design was certainly an upgrade compared to its predecessor a year prior.
7. 1968 Boston Celtics
There's something special about the older NBA championship rings, including the 1968 Boston Celtics one. The 1968 Celtics championship ring possessed a timeless design that embodied the golden standard, a perfect manifestation of the franchise's excellence after collecting its 10th championship banner.
6. 1991 Chicago Bulls
There's something special about the Chicago Bulls' first NBA championship that kick-started their dominance in the NBA during the 1990s. Fortunately, Michael Jordan and the Bulls had the rings to match. The 1991 championship rings featured the team's iconic logo that was certainly well-detailed for its time.
5. 1997 Chicago Bulls
Six years later, after the Bulls were in the midst of their second three-peat, the 1997 championship ring was quite a call-back to the 1991 edition. But this time, it was the logo that was stacked with diamonds. With just the logo itself, the ring certainly had a minimalistic touch that was sleek enough to capture Chicago's excellence.
4. 2011 Dallas Mavericks
To this day, a lot of fans would consider the Dallas Mavericks' 2011 NBA championship run as one of the hardest. As a result, Dirk Nowitzki was immortalized, and the team was rewarded with a unique championship ring with a neat design. It wasn't gold. However, the silver background perfectly brought out the team's colors while placing emphasis on its logo.
3. 2019 Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors certainly shocked the world as underdogs when they denied the Golden State Warriors a three-peat, becoming the first Canadian-based NBA team to win a title. And like its championship win, the rings were just as glorious. The 2019 Raptors' championship had no shortage of meticulous details engraved, giving a nod to various references that allowed them to defy the odds.
2. 2023 Denver Nuggets
2023 marked the first time the Denver Nuggets finally won an NBA championship thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic's dominance. The 2023 championship rings also turned out to be one of the most well-designed piece of jewelry, fitting for the first-time champions. The Nuggets' logo was perfectly integrated into the ring's design, highlighted by 16 carats of diamonds.
1. 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the only team in NBA history to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Fortunately, the Wine and Gold colors were also the perfect match to a championship ring. The Cavs' lone championship ring featured plenty of symbolism that perfectly tell the story of the city's desire to bring home the gold. In the process, the design also honored several notable figures who played a major role in making it a reality after a 52-year drought.
