The Boston Celtics raised Banner 18 to the rafters of TD Garden and received their exquisite championship rings on Tuesday prior to their opening night 132-109 drubbing of the visiting New York Knicks. The vaunted franchise now claims more championships than any other NBA team, and this year's ring — with a lot of bling and hidden surprises — is a fitting tribute to that accomplishment.
“We collaborated closely with the Celtics ownership on the ring design," said Jason Arasheben, CEO Jason of Beverly Hills. "The Celtics had 17 championships before last season, which means they’ve had 17 championship rings before us. We all wanted to make sure the 18th was the best and most memorable."
As with all of Arasheben's championship rings, this one contained unique details.
Two hidden elements are only viewable when the ring top is removed. The inside of the top of the ring is inlaid with a piece of the TD Garden's famed parquet floor, along with the date and score of the team’s championship clinching game. On the other side is a miniature championship banner, encircled by the jersey numbers of each player.
Also, for the first time in history, an NFC (Near-Field Communication) chip has been installed into each ring. When the recipient's phone taps the parquet on the inside of the ring, a video link is enabled that shows how the jewelry was made.
The championship ring also has its share of symbolic elements.
The 18 emerald-cut diamonds on the outer bezel represent the 18 franchise championships, and the 84 points of diamonds on the side bezel represent the Celtics' playoff winning percentage during their championship season.
Also on the face of the ring, the word WORLD is rendered in 30 points of diamonds, representing the total seasons played by the Celtics at TD Garden. The word “CHAMPIONS” is set with 80 white diamonds to honor the team’s 80 combined wins during the regular season and playoffs.
The 16 emerald-cut diamonds on the inner bezel represent the total playoff wins for 2024.
Circling the top of the ring is the year of each championship season in raised yellow gold against a black enamel background.
A texture mimicking the parquet floor pattern is etched into both sides of the ring.
The "player" side of the ring features the player’s name in black enamel on a gold plaque with round diamonds flanking the side of each player’s name. The two diamonds represent the total championships under current ownership. Under the name is the player's number rendered in diamonds. Below the number is the team's 2024 mantra, "Whatever It Takes."
The "team" side of the ring includes the championship year, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy rendered in gold and diamonds, and the combined record for the 2024 Boston Celtics' season (80-21).
The inside shank contains the 2024 playoff series records along with the three-letter initials of the Celtics' opponents.
After Tuesday's game against the Knicks, Celtics' shooting guard Jaylen Brown told ESPN how the ring symbolizes the team's long road to the championship.
"I mean that ring is just an object, but it's everything — the emotions, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the work, the drive, the dedication," he said. "That's what that ring represents, you know what I mean?"
Credits: Images via Instagram / Boston Celtics and Jason of Beverly Hills.
