1974 New York Nets ABA Championship Ring Presented to Team Owner Roy Boe
The 1974 New York Nets squad embodied what the American Basketball Association was all about. The league's premiere player Julius “Dr. J” Erving, center Billy Paultz and rookies Larry Kenon and John Williamson put on dazzling shows in arenas around the country. Their irreverent run and gun, above the rim athletic style of play would later come to define the NBA. But more than swagger and showmanship, the team was a winner. After finishing 55-29 during the regular season, they breezed to capture their first ABA tile by steamrolling the Utah Stars in five games. This ring was received by the Nets owner Roe Boe himself in honor of the 1974 ABA Championship.
Boe, an ambitious, fun-loving entrepreneur, left an indelible mark in the world of professional sports in the greater New York metropolitan region. A Yale graduate, Boe owned both the Julius Erving-led Nets of the ABA and the fledgling New York Islanders of the NHL in the 1970s. After purchasing the Nets from Arthur Brown in May 1969, Boe moved the team from Commack to West Hempstead -- closer to New York City -- and named St. John's coach Lou Carnesecca as his general manager and coach. The Nets obtained Erving for the 1973-74 season and "The Doctor" immediately led the then-Kevin Loughery-coached team to titles in 1974 and '76, the second in the final ABA season. Boe and the Nets joined the NBA for the 1976-77 season in a merger along with San Antonio, Denver, and Indiana, in a costly move that prompted Boe to sell Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Crafted by Jostens in 10K gold, the superb design elements of this ring celebrate the most enduring symbol of the ABA: the red-white-and-blue ball. A sizable oval shaped diamond sits at the center of the enamel decorated ball with a circular perimeter that reads, "ABA WORLD CHAMPIONS - NY NETS." On one shank, the ring features both ABA and Nets logos, along with the name "BOE" in deep relief. The opposing side displays the year "1974" and a shield motif with etched characters detailing the team's postseason triumphs. Inside the band is stamped "Jostens 10K". The ring shows minimal wear, remaining like new and includes a LOA from the Boe family.
It is worth noting that the only other example of a 1974 New York Nets championship ring to surface in the marketplace was Julius Erving’s. It sold at auction in 2011 for $460,741, setting an industry record price for a sports ring.
