How much does the Boston Celtics 2024 championship ring cost? Who designed it?

The NBA champion lifts the Larry O‘Brien trophy each season. This trophy is the ultimate prize at the end of the playoffs. However, it’s not the only symbol of success in the league. The champions are also presented with a winners’ flag that is proudly hung from the ceiling of the winning team’s court. Additionally, the championship ring is awarded to the players and coaches.

In 1922, the New York Giants won the World Series, and that victory had a far-reaching impact beyond the baseball field. To celebrate their championship, the Giants established a tradition that would profoundly influence the world of sports: the creation of the first-ever championship ring. It’s worth mentioning that the first championship ring was commissioned for the ice hockey team Montreal Hockey Club in 1893, although it didn’t become a regular part of the NHL until the 1960s.

The number of championship rings a player has won has become a measure of success in the NBA. Bill Russell holds the record with 11 rings, while Michael Jordan won six in six Finals appearances. Phil Jackson has a total of 13 rings in his career, 11 as a coach and two as a player.

Cost of NBA championship rings

Between 1969 and 1983, the NBA implemented standardized rings for its championship teams. However, after 1983, teams were given the freedom to create their own unique designs. The NBA covers the costs of producing these championship rings, a courtesy not extended by every professional sports league in the US.

In contrast, in the NHL and MLB, the franchises are responsible for covering the expenses associated with the creation of their championship rings. The NFL, given the substantial number of rings required for its teams’ considerable rosters, contributes up to $5,000 per person towards the cost of the rings.

Championship ring designs offer plenty of freedom but typically involve gems on yellow or white gold. In American professional sports, LG Balfour and Jostens are the top jewelers, with Tiffany and Baron Championship Rings also gaining prominence. Baron Championship Rings created the heaviest championship ring in 2016 for the Cavaliers, and the Raptors chose them in 2019 for their first NBA title. The Raptors opted for five different ring types, with the most expensive costing over $100,000 each and the cheapest at just $13, given to 20,000 fans during a flag-raising ceremony.

The ring makers can sell replicas or other jewelry commemorating a team’s title win. The rings are personalized with inscriptions and symbols, featuring the team’s name, logo, number of championships won, and the specific competition. In the past, rings were simple with maybe just one stone. However, since the 1990s, they have become bigger, heavier, and more extravagant, often adorned with numerous gems. Nowadays, rings can have over 100 diamonds, not only on the front but all over, making their price soar to tens of thousands of dollars.

The man behind the Celtics championship rings

Jason Arasheben—known to the world as Jason of Beverly Hills—is one of the most coveted jewelers for top celebrities and athletes. His journey is as fascinating as the jewelry he creates

“I’ve always been a huge sports fan. … And as much as I love the game, I’m unfortunately not very good at basketball,” Jason Arasheben, more popularly known as Jason of Beverly Hills, told Iconic Life in 2019. Well, the 46-year-old did not need to be good at the sport to make an impact in the NBA community. Actually, in any sport.

Jason’s parents wanted him to become a lawyer, but he felt a strong urge to pursue a more creative path. Despite studying law at UCLA, he ventured into selling jewelry on college campuses, starting with plastic hair clips and trinkets. His business eventually expanded to six campuses, but he desired even more.

Frustrated with selling low-quality jewelry, he, due to his success, decided to scale up his business

The true origin of the Jason of Beverly Hills brand began to take root at the legendary Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where Jason spent seven nights a week at the hotel bar, mingling with potential clients and showing his designs. He recalls with a smile, “I was there 365 nights a year, hoping to land one or two clients.” He was persistent, setting a goal to meet ten new people every night. It was a bold approach, but it worked.

His bold craftsmanship is best displayed in the championship rings he’s created for nearly every professional sports championship winner in the past decade—a professional voyage that began with the LA Lakers in 2009.