Kobe Bryant’s 2000 NBA Championship Ring Sets Auction Records. Kobe Bryant’s 2000 NBA championship ring has achieved multiple records in recent auctions. During the March Elite Auction held by Goldin Auctions, the ring was sold for a staggering $927,200, making it the most expensive NBA title ring ever sold at auction. The buyer’s identity has not been disclosed.

Not only is it the most expensive NBA championship ring sold at auction, but it also holds the record for the most expensive ring gifted by a player. The ring was originally given by Kobe to his father, Joe Bryant, and was a duplicate of the ring Kobe received for winning the championship.

The ring’s previous owner consigned it to Goldin Auctions. Joe Bryant had sold the ring to the consignor in 2013, while Kobe was still playing in the league, for $173,000, setting a record price at the time for a ring gifted by a player to someone else. On March 26, the previous record was shattered when a bid of $151,000 was made, ultimately reaching $184,220 after Goldin Auctions’ buyer premium of 22%.

Ken Goldin, CEO and founder of Goldin Auctions, had predicted that the Bryant ring would surpass the previous record, and his prediction proved accurate. The final day of the auction saw 19 bids, with the winning bid reaching $760,000 before the buyer premium. This ring now holds the title for the most expensive publicly sold Bryant award, according to Goldin.

Previously, the most expensive basketball ring belonged to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, whose 1957 championship ring sold for $705,000 in 2021. The highest price ever paid for any sports ring was for Bаbe Ruth’s 1927 title ring, which sold for $2.1 million at a Lelands auction in 2017. Actor Charlie Sheen was the previous owner of Ruth’s ring.

The Bryant ring, made of 14-karat gold and adorned with 40 diamonds, received 43 bids in total. Other Kobe Bryant items included in the auction were a game-worn jersey from the 2009-10 season, the second of back-to-back championships for the Lakers.

This particular ring represents the first of Bryant’s five championships with the Lakers during his illustrious 20-year career with the franchise. Tragically, Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others, lost their lives in a helicopter crаsh in January 2020.