Robert Parish’s 1981 NBA championship ring fetches over $45k at auction (PHOTO)
When he retired from the NBA in 1997, Robert Parish had played in 1,611 career games, a record that still stands and is likely a long time away from being broken (the current active leader, Jason Kidd, has played in 300 fewer and might be staring down retirement). He won four NBA championships along the way and, as you can see in the picture above, four NBA championship rings. Replete with bling, it appears, The Chief decided to put his 1981 ring up for auction, and apparently scored pretty well with his first championship relic, scoring over $45,000 for the piece of jewelry.
Via Grey Flannel Auctions, here's a description of the ring (pictures after the jump):
The top panel reads "NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS" surrounding a large .50-carat round-cut diamond that sits atop a green synthetic stone. The right panel features a banner engraved with the player name "PARISH" above a green enameled clover in relief. The clover features the team name "CELTICS" and "XIV", denoting the team's 14th championship. Adjacent below is a small engraving that reads "PRIDE". The left panel reads "1981" and features a green enameled official NBA logo in relief. Adjacent below is a small engraving bearing the word "TEAMWORK". The inside of the ring is stamped "BALFOUR 14K".
(OK, the "PRIDE" part got to me, a little. But perhaps Robert is not a nostalgic man.)
Here's a close-up look of the ring, which went to an as-yet unnamed buyer:
