This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2018
Compared to today’s gaudy diamond-studded NBA championship rings, this example awarded to members of the 1968-69 Baltimore Bullets appears humble and refreshingly understated. Back in '68, the NBA was nowhere near as popular as it is today, with teams changing names and locations frequently and many franchises barely breaking even. The Baltimore Bullets, who had relocated from Chicago, were one of the NBA’s lower tier teams throughout the 1960’s. Then in 1968 the team went from 36 wins the previous season to 57 and a playoff berth. Though the team lost in the first round to the New York Knicks, this 1968-69 team marked the revitalization of the franchise that would eventually win four Eastern Conference titles and a World Championship.
This gold ring (not hallmarked the weight seems to indicates 10-karat) has the "bullets" logo on the top in red with “CHAMPS EASTERN DIV.” in blue. The left shank has a simple “68” in blue while the left has “69,” also in blue. The interior has been engraved with “SKIP FELDMAN” who was the team’s trainer during the 1968-69 season and beyond. A rare piece of basketball jewelry from the early days of the NBA way before the league turned into the international spectacle it is today.