Kobe Bryant’s 2000 NBA championship ring has established numerous records.
The NBA title ring from Kobe Bryant’s 2000 championship achievement has now become the auction’s highest-selling item, fetching $927,200 at Goldin Auctions’ March Elite Auction, with bidding concluding Saturday night. The identity of the purchaser remains undisclosed.
This ring also stands as the most valuable ring ever given away by an NBA player. Kobe had gifted this duplicate of his championship ring to his father, Joe Bryant.
Previously owned by Goldin Auction’s consignor, Joe Bryant sold the ring to them in 2013 for $173,000 while Kobe was still active in the NBA. This sale set the record at that time for the highest price for a player-gifted ring. This record was surpassed on March 26 with a bid of $151,000, which reached $184,220 with Goldin’s 22% buyer premium included.
Ken Goldin, the CEO and founder of Goldin Auctions, anticipated this ring would break records, a prediction that proved accurate.
The auction’s final day saw 19 bids, with the winning offer at $760,000 before adding the buyer premium. This makes it the priciest publicly sold Bryant memorabilia, according to Goldin.
The previous basketball ring record was held by Bill Russell, a Boston Celtics icon, whose 1957 championship ring fetched $705,000 in 2021.
The record for the most expensive sports ring ever sold is held by Babe Ruth’s 1927 championship ring, which sold for $2.1 million in a 2017 Lelands auction. Actor Charlie Sheen had previously owned Ruth’s ring.
The Bryant ring received 43 bids in total. Made of 14-karat gold and adorned with 40 diamonds, it wasn’t the only Bryant-related item at the auction. A Bryant jersey worn during the 2009-10 season, marking the Lakers’ consecutive championship win, was also up for grabs.
