Archive for July, 2011

History of the NBA Championship Ring

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

History of the NBA Championship Ring

The NBA was established back in the late 1940s and has consistently grown in popularity whenever there are remarkable teams playing the game or championships being won. The word dynasty is used to describe an era of a team that cannot be compared to any other, and there have been more than one. The Boston Celtics in the 60s, L.A. Lakers in the 80s, and Chicago Bulls in the 90s all stand out as some of the best basketball ever played. All of this hard work was for one important goal, to walk away at the end of the season with a championship ring on their finger. Here is a brief history of important championship rings and who has more than anyone else.

Top 5 NBA Championship Rings

  1. Dallas Mavericks, 2011 – One of the greatest accomplishments in the history of the NBA has yet to be rewarded with a ring full of bling. The ring doesn’t exist yet, but should be on its way. Owner Mark Cuban decided he wanted to try something more creative, but with the backlash of the basketball community and media, he may just give in to popular demand. The Mavericks defeated the completely stacked Miami Heat, giving the Mavs, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki their first championship and a chance to redeem themselves from the loss to the Heat in 2006. Now if Mark Cuban will just hurry up and get the guys their rings, the Mavs can be penciled in as one of the greatest stories in basketball history.
  2. Los Angeles Lakers, 2009 – The Lakers’ first back-to-back championship led by the larger than life superstar Kobe Bryant and crew. Kobe hadn’t tasted that sort of victory since his younger days with Shaq supporting underneath. Now Bryant has five rings, and there’s still a chance for more depending on how the team and their new coach work together this year.
  3. San Antonio Spurs, 2007 – The Spurs swept the young Cleveland Cavs and defeated LeBron James who is now infamous for losing in the championship round. Sweeping the finals is enough in itself to qualify the victory as one of the greatest in NBA history, but doing it to a team lead by superstar LeBron James makes it taste even better.
  4. Boston Celtics, 2008 – The team who first introduced “the big three” came through in a big way by bringing home the championship in the first year. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen dominated in 2008, but we have yet to see the same performance shine through again.
  5. Miami Heat, 2006 – Despite all of the controversy this year with their artificial “big three,” Dwayne Wade made a name for himself in Miami with his first and only championship in 2006. He took the underdog Heat to the finals and saved the big games when he needed to.

Players with the Most Championship Rings

  • Bill Russell (11): Bill Russell stands alone with 11 championship rings, six more than any current player. He won the MVP award five times as a center for the Boston Celtics dynasty team during the 1960s. He earned 11 championships in his 13 years in the NBA and was the centerpiece to the most successful team in basketball history. He also holds the record for most champions won by any single American athlete in any sport.
  • Sam Jones (10): Nicknamed “the shooter” because he was one of the most successful clutch scorers in basketball history, Sam Jones is second only to his teammate Bill Russell in number of championships. If he had joined the NBA a year or two earlier, he would have surely been atop the list with Russell. Russell was the defense and rebounder while Jones was the guy who could win the game in the last second with an amazing shot. The two teammates created the most dynamic duo ever to play in the NBA and no other dynasty has come close to surpassing their accomplishments.
  • Tom Heinsohn (8): The only person to have been involved in an official capacity with the Celtics during all 17 of their championships and 21 NBA finals appearances was a player, coach, and is still a commentator. He played during the 60s dynasty alongside Bill Russell, Sam Jones, and crew.
  • KC Jones (Boston Celtics, 59-67)
  • Satch Sanders (Boston Celtics, 60-73)
  • John Havlicek (Boston Celtics, 62-78) – Havlicek played during the Bill Russell dynasty but also continued on to play on the 1974 and 1976 championship teams. Over 16 years, he became the highest scoring Caucasian player in NBA history.
  • Jim Loscutoff (7, Boston Celtics, 55-64)
  • Frank Ramsey (Boston Celtics, 54-64)
  • Robert Horry: The first player on this list that isn’t related to the Celtics dynasty of the 60s is Robert Horry. He won championships playing for three different teams. Two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and two more with the San Antonio Spurs. His nickname “Big Shot Rob” comes from his ability to make the clutch shot in important games.
  • Bob Cousy (6, Boston Celtics, 50-70)
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The 80s were ruled by the Los Angeles Lakers and the obvious leader was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He started his dominant career with the Bucks but solidified his dynasty in the Lakers.
  • Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen: The second best dynamic duo in NBA history is easily awarded to the leaders of the Chicago Bulls dynasty; Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen. Both players acquired six championship rings playing together. The popularity of the NBA skyrocketed when the Bulls showboated into 6 championships in 8 years from 1991-98.
  • George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Larry Siegfried, Don Nelson, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher (5)

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You Would Buy a Pre-owned Vehicle, Why Not a watch?

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Most people have purchased a pre-owned vehicle in their life despite the potential risks involved, but many people still hesitate to buy a used watch. Why is it that a collectible item like a luxury wrist watch scares people away but expensive cars that have likely been in a crash or two are sold every day? Both purchases do require time and extensive research to find the perfect fit for an individual, but a car and a watch aren’t that far apart.

Similarities of a Pre-owned Vehicle and Watch

  • Quality: Car and watch manufacturers all have quality reputations based on years of experience. When you go shopping for a used car, you generally look for a car known for its quality because it will be used and you want to make sure it won’t fall apart on you. Same thing with a watch; you wouldn’t buy a used watch from a low-quality manufacturer because it is likely to break in a short period of time. Price isn’t always in direct relation to the quality of a new, unused watch, but if you are trying to cut corners and pay less, you are more likely to end up with a lesser-quality product.
  • History: It is good practice to ask the car owner for the full history of the vehicle to find out if it had ever been in a crash or had major repairs before. While there is no official “Department of Wrist Watches” reporting on the history of a watch, the seller should be able to tell you everything about the fine watch such as where it came from, how many owners have had it, how old it is, and if there have been repairs made. These must all be taken into consideration when purchasing a high-end pre-owned watch.
  • Style: Both a car and a watch will be seen by the public when you are using it. You want to make a statement with the accessory and also have it match your personal style. It is really important to find the car that you feel you look good in, just as it is important to find the watch that looks good on you. You would not want to be ashamed every time you stepped into your car, just as you would not want to be ashamed to put on your watch you paid good money for. No matter how perfect the quality is, you should still make sure the pre-owned watch is the perfect style for you before even considering a purchase.
  • Technical Specifications: Nobody in their right mind would buy a pre-owned car without first understanding what exactly was under the hood. Is it a four or six cylinder? What type of transmission does it have? Does the air conditioning system work? These are all good questions you would ask. Same goes for watches; you will want to know what components the watch has, who manufactured them, if they have been replaced, and what their expected life will be.
  • Documentation: Ownership documentation, historical documents, proof of servicing and other items should all be included in the exchange of both pre-owned cars and fine watches. If the seller is not willing to provide the appropriate documents, you wouldn’t buy the car or watch.
  • Warranty or Guarantee: Just because you are buying pre-owned doesn’t mean you should risk walking away from the purchase without any sort of warranty or guarantee. A lot of times, you won’t receive any type of warranty from a private seller but if you use a reputable dealer like Levi Family Jewelers then you can be assured that the purchase comes with protection.
  • Service: When you use a dealer for both cars and watches, they can help you find the perfect one for you and explain everything in detail. When making a large purchase that you will probably have for a long time to come, you should expect only the highest quality service to help you through the process. If you aren’t receiving good service from the seller, walk away from the transaction because poor service will probably mean a poor product in the end anyway.

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