NBA players surely are a pampered breed. They get million-dollar contracts, are very popular and living the high life. And when they do bag the ultimate goal which is to win a championship, they are given a bling-bling which makes us drool.

The Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2009-10 NBA Season with a pregame ceremony to receive their championship rings from NBA Commissioner David Stern prior to their first game of the season against crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers. They earned their blings by defeating Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. And what a bling it is!

A championship ring was given to each of the LA Lakers players and other important team figures.

Each ring, shaped subtly like Staples Center is made of 15-karat gold instead of the usual 14-karat to represent the Lakers’ 15th NBA title with 15 diamonds weighing in at 2.85 carats circling a white-gold image of the Larry O’Brien championship trophy. The ring is made of both white and yellow gold and was built from seven different parts that had to be assembled. Most rings are built as one unit.

In the past every player has had their name and number on the side of their ring. The Lakers went a step above that and laser engraved the image of each player’s face on his ring. It’s the first time such a feature had been included on NBA championship rings.

Each ring boasts a hand-selected, diamond-engraved “L”. The “L” is placed in a different position on each player’s ring and is only viewable with a high-powered microscope. This helps authenticate each players piece. For further security and authentification, every ring has a serial number which is stored in a database that only the Lakers themselves and the jeweler can access.

Each ring was presented in an oversized box roughly the size of a watch box. When opened, each box has two built-in LED spotlights that shine on the ring. Even the ring itself gets royal treatment: it is mounted on a rotating mechanical platform.

The 2009 Lakers championship rings were created by Jason of Beverly Hills.

First-time NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant proudly displays his own.

Each ring is worth around $30,000 by the way. Now, I’m really drooling.

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Tags: 2009 NBA finals, kobe bryant, la lakers, NBA