At the time of writing, LeBron James, one of the NBA’s All-Star players, is a four-time MVP. Naturally, he would showcase his achievements by wearing special rings. However, James doesn’t wear conventionally crafted rings that you can get from a jewelry store. Instead, he wears official NBA championship rings.
The LeBron championship ring is a hand-crafted accessory that shows the player’s team upon winning the MVP title. Since James won the award four times, his four rings show the designs of his teams upon winning the award. These teams are Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
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How Many Rings Does LeBron James Wear?
LeBron James joins Michael Jordan as the only players with at least 4 Finals MVP awards.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 12, 2020
James is the 1st player to win the award with 3 different teams and 4th player to win Finals MVP at age 35 or older, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Jordan pic.twitter.com/Rkmq1Cc7Tf
LeBron James wears four championship rings, making him the GOAT for basketball fans globally.
Since his basketball beginnings, the headband-wearing NBA superstar James was seen to be a quick learner in the sport. For instance, he carried his high school varsity team while still being a freshman at the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team. Over time, he continued to rack awards, achievements, and recognitions for his outstanding plays. James also garnered the title of Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in his sophomore year.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that James would eventually sport the MVP title. Some basketball enthusiasts would even see James as the best floor-raiser in the league’s history. In other words, if LeBron isn’t in a particular team, then that team has a high chance of not making the finals.
That concept is quite true, seeing that when LeBron did not play for three seasons, his teams didn’t make it to the finals. Even the Lakers didn’t survive long in the playoffs after James suffered an injury.
James even has some of the most distinct comebacks in NBA history. In 2016, he helped the Cavaliers gain a 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors also had the best regular-season record in the NBA. So this comeback was extra special for both James and the Cleveland team.
LeBron’s Championship Rings
Being awarded the NBA’s championship rings is like wearing and flaunting jeweled crowns. James’ rings are important aspects of his professional basketball career, as these ‘trinkets’ signify this NBA player’s hard work.
2012 Miami Heat NBA Championship Ring
Ask any basketball fan who watched the 2011 to 2012 season why LeBron James was the MVP and you can get an answer like, ‘Because it was obvious.’ It was no question that James was the top performer for that season.
At that time, James led his team by procuring an average of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals. He almost had a four-point lead in the Player Efficiency Rating (PER) when compared to Chris Paul. In detail, James had 30.80 while Paul had 27.09. It might seem like a minuscule gap. However, in the NBA, each decimal point can become a game-changer, figuratively and literally speaking.
Aside from accruing efficient shots and steals while staying on the court, James was also a beast of a defender during this season. He emphasized focusing his defensive capabilities on players that needed marking. It’s like James knows the placement of each player on the court as if he’s looking at the back of his hand.
Therefore, in May 2012, James happily accepted the award of MVP, along with a beautiful diamond-encrusted ring. This accessory has the Miami Heat logo on it with 219 diamonds and three onyx gems.
2013 Miami Heat NBA Championship Ring
It seemed that James’ hunger for being at the top only grew since the beginning of the 2012 to 2013 playoffs. This NBA player’s back-to-back MVP win was a moment that will stay as one of the league’s proudest moments of all time.
Although that season had several players contributing greatly, such as Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony, they didn’t come close to the king of the court during that period – LeBron James. For this season, the Miami Heat’s statistics were off the chart.
Throughout the 76 games, James garnered an average of 26.8 points, 7.3 assists, 0.9 blocks, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. He also remained in the court for an average of 37.9 points.
Additionally, he has a three-point score average of 56.5%. In comparison, the next player only had 40.6% for his average three-point accuracy.
James’ intensity in the court, plus assistance, blocks, and leadership capabilities, allowed the NBA to award him with the title of 2013’s MVP. This achievement came with yet another diamond-encrusted ring. Again, it had the Miami Heat logo on it, but it had a different appearance this time. Additionally, this ring has one black onyx sitting on small 14-karat gold slabs while being surrounded by 242 diamonds.
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Championship Ring
After changing teams, it seemed that James’ wanted the MVP title even more. His desire for that title showed on the court as he carried the Cavaliers to victory, allowing that specific team to beat the Golden State Warriors with a score of 93-89 in Game 7.
It was a unanimous decision when the NBA decided to give James the title of 2016’s MVP. For this season, this NBA player finished with an average of 27 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds per game. Plus, he played on the court for an average of 47 points.
Other achievements garnered by James during the 2015 to 2016 season include scoring 41 points during Games 5 and 6 (along with a triple-double), allowing the Cavaliers to make a 3-1 comeback, and accrued three blocks and two steals during Game 7.
The design of LeBron’s 2016 championship ring is highly similar to the appearance of the rings the Cleveland Cavalier employees wear when celebrating their hard work. However, James’ ring was special as it had diamonds and gold on it.
2020 Los Angeles Lakers Championship Ring
In 2020, James claimed his fourth MVP title for his NBA career. This time, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to win its first championship after a decade of being unable to secure a finals win.
It was quite an emotional achievement for James, seeing that he had to beat his former teammates to acquire that title. In the end, the Lakers beat the Miami Heat with a 106-93-point victory.
In this season, James scored an average of 40 points. Plus, he was able to accrue 28 points, 10 assists, and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the 2019 to 2020 season.
According to an ESPN report, James said that the entire 2020 playoffs were ‘very challenging.’ He also said:
Out of all the NBA championship rings he acquired in his career, this fourth ring has the most meaning. It’s because it came from a time when the world was in chaos due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus also forced the playoffs to play in the NBA bubble.
Final Words
The LeBron championship ring is a symbol of the player’s success as he acquired the title of MVP. James was able to gain that achievement four times throughout his professional basketball career. At the time of writing, James is still with the NBA. As such, only time will tell if James can have more championship rings to flaunt to the basketball world. For everything else in the world of basketball, check out Make-Shots.
