Watch: Mind-blowing details of Denver Nuggets 2023 NBA Championship Ring presented at Ball Arena
The Denver Nuggets 2023 NBA Championship Ring has features unlike any other ring of such kind in league history. Jason Arasheben, who runs Jason of Beverly Hills, the company tasked with creating the said jewelry, came up with something unique and special. Arasheben has designed NBA championship rings for teams such as the LA Lakers, the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors. He had to make something special for Denver’s first title in history.
At a glance, the feature that stands out is Denver’s logo which is blended with the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The mountaintop part of the emblem gets a boost with the unmistakable globe of the championship trophy.
The feature that Arasheben designed needs a little maneuvering. He has inserted a lever that makes the ring change from white diamonds to blue sapphires. Additionally, the mechanical feature allows the user to see 1967, the year the Nuggets became an ABA franchise, to 2023.
A movable slot will bring out a replica of the Denver Nuggets’ championship banner that was raised before the season opener. The Lakers, Bucks and Warriors, the last three champions before the Nuggets, didn't have any such features.
Jason Arasheben had this to say about the design in an interview with ESPN:
"This one is definitely one of my favorites, if not my favorite. We're the first ones to come up with the concept of the twist-off top to reveal, whether it be the inner bowl [of SoFi Stadium for the Rams' Super Bowl LVI ring] or the retired jerseys with [the Lakers' 2020 title ring].
"But [the Nuggets' ring features] have never ever been done before on jewelry or championship rings."
The players, though, were not aware of the new features until they received their NBA championship ring. Aaron Gordon, in the Denver Nuggets’ preseason game against the LA Clippers, commented:
"I hope it's big and full of rocks.”
Gordon and the players got that and more. It has 16 carats of diamonds, the number of wins the Nuggets needed to win the title. The “rocks” also include 89 red rubies as a nod to Denver’s defense that allowed the same number of points in Game 5.
Nikola Jokic will not be tying the NBA championship ring on his shoes
Nikola Jokic may have earned an NBA championship ring, but he’s not wearing it on his shoes. The “Joker” is known to tie his wedding ring on his laces when he plays. The two-time MVP could get away with that but he won’t be getting the same convenience for his new jewelry.
When asked before Tuesday’s tip-off if he would be putting it around his shoes, Jokic told the reporter that it was a good suggestion. Still, he realized that it would be too big and cumbersome.
Josh Kroenke, the Denver Nuggets’ president, had this to say about Nikola Jokic probably wearing it during games:
"It is definitely going to be a hazard to anyone's health if that thing is bouncing around on his shoes. This ring is way too big and way too heavy."