The Raptor players got really personal when their NBA Championship rings were engraved.
Sleuthing fans who watched a video about how the rings were made discovered the following:
- NBA Final MVP and hoop god Kawhi Leonard selected a logo of a hand shaped like a heart beside an image of his fingers.
- Marc Gasol, who proved during the Raptors’ joyous victory parade in July that he can drink champagne and wine to infinity, paid tribute to the Memphis Grizzlies, his former team, by putting their slogan “Grit and Grind” on his ring.
- Kyle Lowry, who spearheaded the design of the ring by Baron Championship Rings, opted for his family’s initials in honour of the names of his wife and two sons.
- Pascal Siakam honoured his late father with the message DoingItForYou. In 2014 his father was killed in a car crash.
- Fred VanVleet, who has constantly had to prove himself after going unselected in the 2016 draft, wrote “Bet On Yourself.
- Serge Ibaka, who hails from the Congo, had a silhouette of Africa engraved on his ring.
- Danny Green and Patrick McCaw went old school. Green got “2X Champion” on his, and McCaw went with “3X Champion.”
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Every Raptor was allowed to have a personal message engraved on the ring.
It’s the "most expensive championship ring ever made," says Peter Kanis, president of Baron Championship Rings.
It’s also the biggest championship ring in the history of the NBA. With 640-plus diamonds, it’s the most diamonds ever used and it’s the heaviest ever in total gold carat weight.
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And, according to The Toronto Star, Baron’s created versions of the ring at cheaper prices: the premium version is $11,000-ring, but replicas range anywhere from $20 to $5,000.
That’s still a lot cheaper than the $150K Drake paid for his customized championship ring made by Jason of Beverly Hills.
Raptors host the Detroit Pistons Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena. No word whether Drizzy will be there.
