Bill Russell's Hall of Fame ring expected to go for $200,000 at auction

The Hall of Fame ring of basketball legend Bill Russell has been the centerpiece auction item for the Summer Premier Auction at SCP Auctions, and it could bring a price tag of more than $200,000 by the time bidding closes on Friday.

The ring, which was presented to Russell in 2019, has been up for auction since late August and has already been bid on a handful of times, with a high bid of nearly $44,000 at the time of publication.

According to TMZ, the ring weighs 65 grams and is 14-karat gold with 1.625 carats of real diamonds

Russell was the first Black player inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 but did not attend his ceremony because he felt other players were more deserving to go in before him. In 2019 he finally received his Hall of Fame ring at a private ceremony.

Russell died in July at the age of 88, and the NBA will officially retire his No. 6 leaguewide to honor his impact. He is the first player to receive that honor from the league. 

Russell was the NBA's greatest champion, winning 11 titles throughout his career. 

Hall of Fame rings do not go to auction as often as championship rings (mostly because they are rarer), but they do make their way on occasion. 

In 2013 “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s Hall of Fame ring sold for over $88,000 at auction.

Baseball Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Earl Weaver had their Hall of Fame rings sell for $50,000 and $31,000, respectively.