FILE PHOTO: NBA basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabaar waves before speaking on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar
An auction featuring four of Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA championship rings runs through Saturday.
The league’s all-time leading scorer is auctioning rings he won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1988, plus other game-used and autographed memorabilia from his legendary career.
Abdul-Jabbar, 71, wrote on his website earlier this month that “much of the proceeds” will benefit his Skyhook Foundation, a charity that helps kids learn about science, technology, engineering and math.
“When it comes to choosing between storing a championship ring or trophy in a room, or providing kids with an opportunity to change their lives, the choice is pretty simple. Sell it all,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
“Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I’d rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future.
“That’s a history that has no price.”
The auction is being conducted by Goldin Auctions. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bidding on his ring from the 1985 NBA championship was up to $85,000, and the bidding on a signed basketball from his final NBA game in 1989 was up to $75,000.
A six-time NBA champion and six-time Most Valuable Player, Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
—Field Level Media