During the 2003 All-Star Game, Vince Carter gave up his starting spot to Michael Jordan. This was not only because of the respect of sharing their alma mater North Carolina but because it was Jordan’s final All-Star Game. But in Raptors history, Carter doesn’t need to give up his spot for anyone. He is the first player in their franchise history to have his jersey go into the rafters. After the ceremony, he also received a special gift from a super fan.

“Pinching myself. Today is a beautiful day in the city of Toronto,” wrote Nav Bhatia on his Instagram. The super fan of Toronto’s team was also the first fan to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. In the photos, Vince Carter proudly displays the chain. Kilani Jewelry personally designed the pendant, making it of solid white gold and setting it with the highest quality diamonds.

Another post from the jewelers mentioned that on a solid white gold foundation, icing of the 381 of the finest diamonds was done. And even the Superfan wrote, “A very special gift from myself and all the Raptors fans across the globe to the greatest Raptor of all time, Vince Carter.” The teams receiving rings are part of the tradition now, but this is truly special to remember Vince Carter’s legacy.

When Michael Jordan retired from the game for the first time, the honor did not have diamonds but a similar emotional connection. The Chicago Bulls presented the 6x NBA champ with this three-dimensional art at the United Center on his retirement. After the first three-peat, MJ decided to step away from the game. So, the art featured a photo of “The Shot,” which distinguished his extraordinary athletic prowess. Not only that, but a scale-model basketball court is the backdrop, and also an actual Bulls jersey and basketball included.

Even though they didn’t use gold, they used brass ingots on each side engraved with Jordan’s unsurpassed achievements. Speaking about achievements, how can we leave out the Boston Celtics’ 18th banner, which took them to the top spot once again?

The Celtics’ ring has a lot of details, just like Vince Carter’s or Michael Jordan’s gift

While getting a ring after fighting off the entire season for the World Champions title is a huge achievement in itself, the Boston franchise has taken it a set further with multiple details. First, the ring contains 15 carats of white diamonds, which represent the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. The inner bezel consists of 16 emerald cut diamonds signifying the number of wins in the playoffs.

To include the stat of 84% of wins in playoffs, the side bezel has 84 points of diamonds. Similarly, 80 white diamonds are in the word ‘Champions’ to represent the total number of wins in regular and post-season.

One team side of the ring also has the combined record for the 2024 Boston Celtics season (80-21). The player side of the ring features the player’s name and number, with two diamonds flanking the side of each player’s name to represent the total championships under current ownership. The ring features “Whatever it Takes” on the ringside to highlight the 2024 team’s mantra.

As per reports, such expensive rings can range from $30,000 to $150,000. But in such cases, cost is secondary. First is the recognition of the players. That’s why even the Superfan of the Raptors was excited to share his token of appreciation with the Raptors legend Carter. And it’s the same reason why Michael Jordan’s first retirement gift is valuable despite not having any precious metal like gold or silver.