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NBA: Ranking the 30 best NBA Championship Rings

By Hans Themistode

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 30: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat looks at his 2012 NBA Championship ring following a ceremony prior to the game against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena on October 30, 2012 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 30: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat looks at his 2012 NBA Championship ring following a ceremony prior to the game against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena on October 30, 2012 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Ranking the best championship rings in NBA history: 11. Detroit Pistons, 2004

It was never supposed to happen in the first place. The 2004 Detroit Pistons were a good team on paper. Even on the court actually, they were terrific. During the 2003-04 season, the Pistons ranked second in the league in defensive rating.

They may have sported four All-Stars in Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace but they were big-time underdogs against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. With their highest point per game scorer checking in at 17.6 points per game, the Lakers were mostly expected to wipe the floor with the Pistons. With that said, Detroit would ultimately go on to gentlemen sweep a stacked Lakers squad which featured Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone.

The Pistons made sure their championship rings were memorable. The front of their new jewelry was completely covered in diamonds but right in the middle was the team’s name with a golden Larry O’Brien trophy sitting right in the middle. While their rings may not seem all that special, wait until we get to the cool part. On one side of their rings the words “The Right Way” were etched into it with three NBA Championships, which illustrated how many titles the franchise had won. On the other side, it perfectly described the sort of team the Pistons were.

For much of the early 2000s, the Pistons prided themselves on hard work as they were largely considered a blue-collar city. So, to recognize their never say die attitude, the Pistons had “Going To Work” carved into the ring, along with the series score of the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the franchise, they haven’t come close to bringing home another title.