Championship rings are an important piece of winning a title, in any sport. These rings are worth a whole lot of money, and they are customized to the specifications of the winning team. Over the years, some players have auctioned off their rings for charity, and it leads to lucky fans housing some rare gear.
Unfortunately, the circumstances in which Lamar Odom gave up his rings are much sadder. In 2016, Odom suffered a medical crisis that put him in the hospital for quite a while. Odom needed some money to pay off his medical bills, and as a result, he pawned off his rings.
Eventually, a fan bought these rings at an auction for $36,600 and $78,000, according to TMZ. That is a massive price, although depending on the player, these can go for a whole lot more. No matter what, it is a sad story, as you never want to see a player give up a prized possession due to falling on hard times.
Luckily, there seems to be a happy development to all of this. While speaking on his new podcast On The LO, Odom revealed that he went to a Lakers game on October 20th and ran into the fan who bought his rings. After a quick conversation, the fan decided to give Odom his rings back, free of charge.
As Odom explains, the fan told him that he earned those rings and that he should have them. It was a truly incredible gesture that just goes to show how there is still some good left in this world. Odom was incredibly thankful for the fan's generosity, as he certainly could have held onto them.
Odom won his two championship rings back in 2009 and 2010 while playing with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Odom has always cherished his time playing with Kobe, and now, he will get to hold onto those rings that will forever remind him of his greatest achievements.
There have been a lot of negative stories in the NBA world as of late, so it's always nice to see a positive one come our way.
[Via]
