This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/10/2022
The 1987-88 season culminated in the Lakers' 11th championship in franchise history, as L.A. defeated the "Bad Boys" of Detroit in seven games to repeat as champions. The "Lake Show" swept the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs before fighting through two straight seven-game battles against the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks to reach the NBA Finals. The 1988 Finals marked the last time Pat Riley and Magic Johnson's "Showtime" Lakers would win a title together, and the franchise's final championship at The Fabulous Forum.
Backing up Magic at point guard on those '87 and '88 back-to-back title teams was 6' 1" Wes Mattews. A high school All-American and the 14th overall pick of the 1980 NBA Draft, Matthews had a nine-year NBA career, starting for the Bulls and Spurs at one stretch. Presented here is Wes Matthews' 1988 Los Angeles Lakers World Championship 14-karat gold ring. The size 9.5 ring weighs 36 grams with a half carat (.50) weight in diamonds. The face has a dazzling large diamond smack dab in the center of a purple stone, which is surrounded by 18 smaller diamonds on the perimeter. "WORLD CHAMPION LAKERS 1988"surrounds the face. On one shank is "BACK TO BACK" above "1987" and "1988" wirth a red and black enamel NBA logo. The other shank has "MATTHEWS" above the Lakers logo and "LAKERS 4 PISTONS 3" in raised letters and numbers. The interior is hallmarked "LGB 14K" by its maker, Balfour.
This was the second of two rings Matthews won as a member of LA's storied NBA franchise and it comes in outstanding condition with light wear. The lot also includes a "1988 NBA Championship Los Angeles Lakers" metal display placard for the ring and a 1996-97 Lakers media guide with Matthews' name circled twice on page 158 where he's pictured in the two title team photos.