Dime Exclusive: Boston Celtics Championship Ring
Since the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship last June, everyone has been waiting in anticipation to see what type of bling they would receive on opening night. We talked last week about how Tony Allen got his ring fitted for his pinky and last night about the ceremony itself. But here, exclusive to Dime, are some photos of the $30,000 piece of memorabilia.
The ring is made of 14-karat white gold. The top of the ring has an emerald shamrock of three custom cut, heart-shaped 8mm emeralds and four custom cut emeralds to form the stem. The shamrock itself is surrounded by 64 diamonds and the bezel has 20 more.
On one side, the ring has “Banner 17” to commemorate the Celtics NBA-record 17th title, the Celtics logo, record and the Zulu word “Ubuntu,” which loosely translated means, “A person is a person only through other people” – a mantra introduced by Celtics coach Doc Rivers. On the other side, the ring has the player’s name and number, the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy (with a round diamond as the basketball) and the logos for the Celtics and the NBA.
For a final touch, Red Auerbach’s signature is inscribed on the inside. In total, the ring has a combined 92 diamonds and emeralds and has close to 9-carats of gemstones.
The ring was made by Intergold, a company based out of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1980, Intergold has set themselves apart from the rest. In 1994, they beat all the North American competition to win the contract to make the NBA championship ring for the Houston Rockets. In 1995, they did it again. They also crafted the Detroit Pistons’ championship rings in 2004.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:50 am
doc says:
They pretty as hell.
October 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
BxBaller says:
Those are hot.
Who wants to make a bet that Tony Allen loses his before Christmas?
October 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Sam I Am says:
Big props to the company for all that detail
October 29th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
dapro says:
The rings are crazy!! The leaf sets it off just right.
October 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Jim says:
Hot hot hot.
(tyisa tyisa tyisa in isiZulu, abantu bami)
October 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
This ish right here is fuego!!! You pull up to the club wearing that piece and all off a sudden girls start smothering you in puss!!! LOL
October 29th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
bsteezy3 says:
Yep…that’s a bad-ass ring…
October 29th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Thats my boy Blue says:
Big Baby to eat his before Christmas…. Classy
October 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
K Dizzle says:
It’s made in Canada? Damn
October 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Fab says:
Nice, but I still can’t get over the fact that the NBA (and other US leagues) champions refer to themselves as world champions… Can’t get over it, but sadly that’s so typical…
October 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Kevin says:
So ill
October 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Jim says:
Line up another club that beats the Celtics, Fab, please. Or the Giants or the Red Sox. Or the Houston Dynamo. Ok, not that one.
It is silly, but get that “typical” ish out of here.
October 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Ian says:
btw loved the way pollard (who sucks as a player but is awesome as a person) was showing off his ring.
October 29th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
D.H. says:
@ K Dizzle
Come on man, everyone knows all the good sh%$ comes from Canada.
October 29th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
doc says:
@fab,we say world champs because all your teams stink if it aint soccer,hockey,rugby,or cricket.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Jorisc says:
Poor bastards thinking they’re the center of the world.
You just politely tell them Fab but they think they now better…
Really, what can the world be when you got so many fuckers thinking like this ?
Geez, their dow jones isn’t telling them they should just think they’re not always the best ??
You could tell me it’s nothing but replace US Champions by World Champions is a huge leap when you don’t play against them.
Guys like you let strangers think americans are really self-centered but I bet it’s only a part of the population who is like this cause like everywhere everything can’t be plain wrong.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Jorisc says:
replacing*
October 29th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Celts Fan says:
Here’s the deal, best team in the best league in the World = world champs. When AC Milan took the Champions League, they were world champs. Until basketball and baseball start a Champions League like soccer (which would be AMAZING btw, don’t know what the hold up is) you have to give it to the best team in the best league, and with all due respect, no European guy has ever been the best player on a title team and Josh Childress is looking like a superduper star over there, so don’t tell me Macabi Tel Aviv could beat the Celtics or any NBA champ. No offense fellas, trust me, I know AC Milan would probably hang 30 on the Houston Dynamo, but the best league in the world is the NBA right? That’s why guys leave their homes to, in their own words, “play with the best players inthe world in the best league in the world.” So after saying yes, why wouldn’t the NBA champ be the world champ til we get a format where we can settle it on the court? Anyone honestly think a Euro-League team could beat the Celtics, the ‘07 Spurs, or the ‘06 Heat? Didn’t think so.
I wish we had a legit champion’s league so we could settle this on the court like they do with soccer, but til we do, you gotta give it to the NBA team. That’s not an American slant on it, that’s just being real…
October 29th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Jorisc says:
Ok so no game played but you’re sure AC Milan or the Celtics can beat everyone ?
I think they could (for the Celtics and in June 2008) but until a game or a serie was actually played I wasn’t sure.
AS for AC Milan : it was in 2006/2007 but they where UEFA Champions League champs, not world champs.
Who are you to say a club not eligible to the competition couldn’t beat them ?
The problem is : official instances and US medias call NBA champs world champs, that’s the true problem and it’s disrespect for the other clubs.
If everybody knows the NBA is the best league why bother by calling the champs world champs ?
To assess yourselves perhaps ?
And just to taunt a little bit : do you think the US team crushed Spain in the Olympic final ? A Spanish team with one of its bests players injured ?
I don’t think so.
PS : I really think NBA is the best league and US players the bests but the point is respect, and calling the champs of a “country league” world champs is just pure disrespect.
October 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
I’m with Celts Fan…The best players from the best teams around the world come to play in the NBA. So in essence it’s comprised of the best of the best no matter what country. The only good players that do not come over are the ones who make too much money overseas or game doesn’t translate well into the NBA style. But these players are few and far between.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:05 am
PAT O'GREYSIK says:
The ring is amazing. The fact that it is made in Canada by the best championship ring company, Intergold tells us the Celtics demand the best.
As far as World Champions…..Yes the NBA is the Best basketball league in the world (has nothing to do with U.S. Pride!) Therefore World Champions is the best description.
If you are an elite baskeball you go to college in the US and you play in the NBA. If you play in Europe because you are not good enough for the NBA.
November 2nd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
K Dizzle is handicapped says:
QUOTE – “K Dizzle says: It’s made in Canada? Damn”
What does it matter? You don’t think Canada is capable of making a decent ring? Look at the pictures buddy, they speak for themselves.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
James Burrows says:
Just to clarify, Balfour was the lead company in securing the Boston Celtics Championship ring. Balfour and Intergold have a marketing relationship that is raising the bar in Championship and Fan jewelery and mementos.
James Burrows
GM