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10 Years Before the Nuggets’ Ring Ceremony, Lakers Championship Jewelry and $20,000 Worth Gift Cards Were Stolen by Unsuspecting Culprit

Satagni Sikder
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10 Years Before the Nuggets' Ring Ceremony, Lakers Championship Jewelry and $20,000 Worth Gift Cards Were Stolen by Unsuspecting Culprit

The Denver Nuggets will receive their NBA Championship rings in a few hours. The first Ring Ceremony in the history of the Colorado franchise will take place at Ball Arena before a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Finals kicks off the NBA season. As the Nuggets host their first-ever Ring ceremony, they will probably hope that they don’t have to experience what their opponents for the night, the Los Angeles Lakers, went through 10 years ago.

In 2013, the Lakers lost a few of their Championship rings and about $20,000 worth of gift cards and donations from a practice facility in El Segundo. The local police arrested the security guard of the practice facility, Eddie J. Monterroso, later on. The rings from the Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 NBA Championship wins were recovered from Monterroso’s Inglewood home, according to an LA Times report.

Monterroso does not have any prior convictions and worked at the training center for about a year before his arrest…Monterroso admitted to his role in the crime during questioning, and was “very apologetic”,” the report added. The arrested security guard was later charged with felony grand theft and burglary by the LA County District Attorney’s office. He reportedly cashed the gift cards to buy video games.

The Denver Nuggets take on the Los Angeles Lakers to kick off the 2023-24 season

Ball Arena would be packed to witness a promising season opener between the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets and the LeBron James-led Lakers later today. Fans will be able to witness the pre-game festivities before the game begins. The NBA has already released the itinerary of the show.

The Nuggets would be looking to start their title defense strong with a win. On the other hand, the Lakers would be looking to ruin the festivities of the Nuggets’ Ring ceremony by pulling an upset. With LeBron James entering his 21st season in the league, it will definitely be no walk in the park for the LA side against a strong Denver team.

Meanwhile, Nuggets centerpiece Nikola Jokic is facing a massive predicament before the season opener. While the 2023 Finals MVP has the habit of tying his wedding ring in his shoe laces during games, he will find it difficult to do the same for his Championship ring. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the Joker chooses to display his hard-earned piece of silverware.

About the author

Satagni Sikder

Satagni Sikder

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Satagni Sikder, the Lead NBA Editor at The SportsRush, has written over 600 articles on basketball for different websites. His pieces have struck a chord not just with the readers but the stars as well. Shaquille O’Neal, no less, had shared one of his articles on Instagram. A Mavericks fan, Satagni’s love for the Dallas side began when Dirk Nowitzki led them to the title in 2011. Luka Doncic’s entry into the league and his insane game-ending buzzer-beater against the Clippers in the Orlando bubble ensured he is hitched for life. Satagni, who holds a Master's degree in English, writes analytical pieces, breaking down contracts, trade rumors, and player endorsement deals. In 2022, he extensively covered WNBA star Brittney Griner's exile in a Russian penal colony. One of the first to cover Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant chain, his article is cited in its Wikipedia page. In his free time, he watches political documentaries and debates.

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