Enter Ron Artest's Laker Ring Raffle

When I initially heard the rumors about Lakers forward Ron Artest giving away his first championship ring to a fan, I cringed. I secretly wanted to be that lucky fan, but I couldn't understand how Artest could so casually hand over something that basically symbolizes what he has spent his entire NBA career fighting for.

I see now that he's fighting for something that is just as near and dear to him, if not more. In numerous interviews since the unveiling of the Lakers Championship rings, Ron has made it clear that he is dedicated to disarming the stigma surrounding mental illness through a selfless gesture. By raffling off his first and only championship ring, he hopes to raise over a million dollars to support mental health charities. 

Ring or no ring, Ron Artest is definitely a champion in my eyes.

If you, or anyone you know is interested in getting in on this amazing cause, you can purchase raffle tickets at RONARTEST.com

Deets on the grand prize for the winner after the jump:
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2010 Los Angeles Lakers Championship Rings Revealed!!

 A Championship Ring with a Piece of History

Press Release: LOS ANGELES, CA- October 26th 2010- The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate their 16^th championship win in true Hollywood fashion by contracting, for the second year in a row, celebrity jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to create what will go down as the world’s most historic championship ring.  Jason of Beverly Hills, known for his extravagant diamond creations for some of the world’s biggest celebrities and royalty, has completely revolutionized the industry with his out-of-the-box approach to design.

For the first time in championship ring history,  Jason of Beverly Hills has decided to commemorate the Lakers historic win by adorning each and every ring with a piece of the actual ball used in game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals. This daring ring design also features 2 trophies that signify the back to back victories made from a custom batch of 16kt gold and 16 oversized round brilliant white diamonds to indicate the 16 historic Lakers’ championships. Employing the world’s most advanced 3-D technology, each player is immortalized with a 3 dimensional sculpture of their face on their respective rings.

 

Representing the new generation of fine jewelry making, Jason of Beverly Hills upheld their standard of expert craftsmanship, superior diamond quality and cutting edge design. “We wanted to create history with this year’s ring and I think we’ve done that!” says Jason Arasheben, CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills. “More than any other year, this year’s ring allows the owner to relive and own a piece of Lakers’ history with the leather from the Game 7 ball.”

 

At this year’s unveiling ceremony, each ring was hand delivered in custom boxes, complete with a rotating platform to display the rings under LED lights.

LAKER NATION ~vK