How The Lakers’ Championship Rings Paid Tribute To Kobe Bryant And Social Justice Movement
Jeweler Jason Arasheben, also known as “Jason of Beverly Hills,” designed the latest Los Angeles Lakers championship rings, and they are quite impressive.
Per ESPN, because of the pandemic, Jason had to get the rings done in four weeks, which is far quicker than the average four months it usually takes to make them. And in them are several creative Easter eggs and elements that tell the story of the season and 2020:
The Lakers spent 95 days in the Orlando bubble due to coronavirus. So each of the 17 purple amethyst stones that create the “L” on the ring’s face weighs .95 carats.
The 17 stones signify the 17th championship for the franchise.
Each ring has .52 carats of yellow diamonds. This represents the 52 regular-season wins the Lakers had.
“Unity” is etched into every ring and is a reference to the social justice movement.
The team’s playoff slogan, “Leave A Legacy,” is on each ring in gold, and it is written in LeBron James’ handwriting.
There is a black mamba snake around every player’s number on the rings, in honor of Kobe Bryant
And there is also a removable top for the ring. It is a replica of the Staples Center rafters where all the retired jerseys hang. And they put a special emphasis on Kobe’s two jerseys by making them a different color. The background is also a snakeskin texture.
When talking about the rings, Jason said, “This ring eclipses last year’s NBA championship ring as the most valuable NBA championship ring in history with the most amount of diamond carat weight than any other ring in history.”
He added, “I mean, this ring, we really wanted to make a statement. It’s been ten years since the Lakers have won. We wanted to come out and really make a statement and really reward these players for a job well done.”
The new Lakers championship rings feature a couple of incredible tributes to the late Kobe Bryant #RIPMamba 🐍
— Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) December 23, 2020
» A detachable top unveils the Lakers' retired numbers and highlights Kobe's #8 and #24.
» A Black Mamba snake is on the side underneath each player's number pic.twitter.com/8uDn6xLMBc
LAKERS RINGS 💎 BY THE NUMBERS
— Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) December 23, 2020
Did you know: @JasonofBH only had 4 weeks (!!) to make the rings, as opposed to the usual 3-4 months. pic.twitter.com/ouesmCerHJ
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