The Toronto Raptors received the biggest championship rings in NBA history and unfurled a banner celebrating their victory in a ceremony before the team’s season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
Drake, the Raptors’ ambassador, also received a ring.
According to Associated Press, “the rings each contain more than 650 diamonds as well as 16 rubies, representing the number of playoff victories required to win the title. On the face of the ring, diamonds form the Toronto skyline above the word ‘North’ spelled out in diamonds inside a golden chevron.”
READ MORE: Drake gifted diamond-studded jacket worth hundreds of thousands of dollars before Raptors game
Peter Kanis, CEO of Baron Championship Rings, joined the Kelly Cutrara Show on Global News Radio 640 Toronto to discuss the championship ring.
Kanis told Cutrara he wasn’t sure if Drake had a part in designing the championship ring, but “Kyle Lowry definitely” did.
Drake took to Instagram on Tuesday ahead of the season opener to show off his ring and a second customized NBA championship ring, estimated to be valued at over $150,000.
The ring, created by Jason Arasheben of Beverly Hills, has the head of the original Raptor logo and “The Boy” written across the side.
“Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting,” Arasheben told TMZ.
READ MORE: Drake says he’s ‘so hurt’ after father claims he lied about being absent in lyrics
In May, the Money in the Grave rapper was dripping in Toronto Raptors swag after he was gifted a one-of-a-kind sports jacket covered in handset diamonds.
Toronto tailor Garrison Bespoke designed and gifted the jacket to the Toronto-born rapper with 235 diamonds hand-embroidered into the shape of the OVO (October’s Very Own) owl.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri presented the jacket to Drake in May before Game 4 between the Raptors and the Bucks, but Garrison Bespoke owner and founder Michael Nguyen made it clear that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) did not pay for the jacket.
The jacket was actually “gifted to the team and to Drake by Garrison and was not paid for by MLSE,” according to Nguyen.
“It’s about $747,000 at today’s exchange rate,” Nguyen said of the price of the gift. The owl eyes are each 1.2 carats.
“The Raptors asked for a surprise to be made. We are huge fans and wanted to celebrate by creating a memorable gift with our collaboration partners Diamond Foundry and Dormeiul,” Garrison Bespoke marketing chief David Tran said to Huffpost. “Ever since the original Drake commission, it’s been an annual tradition and is always presented at the game.”
The jacket has a custom lining, which is the black-and-gold OVO Raptors jersey that Drake helped to design.
Comments