This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/1/2011.
Not only was Bobby Jones one of the most brilliant defenders ever to wear a basketball uniform, but he was also one of the most virtuous. While most other players depended on the occasional thrown elbow, hip-check, or grab of the uniform to gain an advantage, Jones relied on pure hustle and determination to keep his man at bay. What that work added up to was a 12-year pro career that featured eight selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team; the first-ever NBA Sixth Man Award; membership on the ABA All-Rookie Team; four appearances in the NBA All-Star Game and one in the ABA All-Star Game; and perhaps most prized, an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. Jones, along with Hall of Famers Moses Malone, and Julius Erving, led the 1982-83 Sixers to a league-best regular season record of 65-17. The 76ers continued their dominance in the postseason, steamrolling through the playoffs nearly unscathed with a 12-1 playoff record on their way to the franchise’s third NBA Championship. This size 12.5, 14k gold players ring weighs 40 grams. The top panel reads “NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS” with a .40-carat round-cut diamond in the center surrounded by a red stone. The right panel features a banner engraved with the player name “JONES” above a casted image of the Liberty Bell adorned with the 76ers logo, “65-17”, the team’s record for that season, and “PERSEVERE”. Above the Liberty Bell is “Fo, Five, Fo” a reference to Moses Malone’s famous quote on how the Sixers’ playoffs run would go. The left panel reads “1983” and features the NBA logo as well as a banner engraved “DEFENSE”. The inside of the ring is stamped “LGB 14K”. Jones never wore this ring unless he was visiting schools and camps to use it as a lesson to kids on what could be acheived. The ring is in NRMT condition and is accompanied by a LOA from Bobby Jones.