Somewhere in a jewelry drawer (or probably a locked-up safe) NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal has a nice collection of Championship rings. And since he’s out of the game (at least as a player), his ring-winning days are over. But that’s not stopping Shaq from adding to his collection.
Seems another NBA star is putting his championship jewelry on the auction block, and Shaq says he’s all-in to grab the hardware. Former Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell has donated his personal NBA collection in TD Gardens – the home of the Celtics – for a charity auction later this week (as of this writing).
And what a collection it is! It’s pretty safe to say that Russell stands at the top of the mountain when it comes to respect and admiration from both players and fans. In his time, Russell won 11 rings in his 13 seasons in the league from 1956-1969.
In one of the all-time great careers, Bill Russell was a 12 time All-Star and 5-time league MVP. Talk about dynasties! With those great Celtics teams, Russell and teammates won a whopping EIGHT consecutive NBA Championships!
Russell’s impact on basketball is remembered every year. The Championship Finals series Most Valuable Player Award is named after him. Yet along with his time on the court, Russell is remembered for an even wider impact. As a contributor and leader of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, Russell will be remembered for a lot more than basketball.
Enter our man Shaq, who has said he will spend whatever it takes to be the new owner of Russell’s collection. In a recent interview, O’Neal said, “To be able to have all 11 of those rings, nobody’s outbidding me on that one.”
There’s no way to estimate what the collection of championship hardware may be worth… Stay tuned for an update after the auction takes place. Shaq certainly has the net worth to be a major player in the auction, and he’s already shown he’s willing to spend money to get the things he enjoys and appreciates. Word his that his personal car collection racks up about $23,000 a month in gas bills.
O’ Neal is also a big fan. In recent interviews, he picked Bill Russell over Wilt Chamberlain as his favorite center for the decade of the 1960’s
Shaq says it’s all about winning: “ I was taught, from guys like Isiah [Thomas] and guys like Mike [Michael Jordan] that it’s all about the championships. Bill Russell has 11 championships. That will never be matched again.”
Stay tuned for news of how the auction goes, and how much Russell’s ring collection brings when the gavel falls.
Here’s Shaq talking about the auction on Inside the NBA: