A high price to pay

Former Bulls guard Brown forced to auction off 3 title rings


Randy Brown was a hard-nosed guard for the Bulls.
How much would you pay for a Bulls championship ring?

If you have ever dreamed about owning one, you are about to get the opportunity to do so. Former Bulls guard Randy Brown recently declared bankruptcy and is being forced to auction off his three NBA title rings. A Sacramento federal bankruptcy judge has given a California auction firm the rights to sell Brown's rings -- which are expected to command at least $75,000 each.

"They were appraised -- just the jewels and the precious metals -- at about $40,000, and that's not the collector's value," Daniel West, the auction firm's co-owner, told WBBM.

The auction will take place online over two days, beginning May 19 and concluding about noon CT May 21.

"It's a tough situation," said Dennis West, another co-owner. "Randy seems like a really good guy, and he was a great player. However, these are tough times for a lot of people from a variety of backgrounds. People are making difficult financial decisions, and for some, that means bankruptcy."

I can't help but feel sorry for Brown as I read this. The 12-year NBA vet is a Chicago native, and you have to believe those three rings were the most treasured possessions from his career. Maybe his old teammate Michael Jordan can step in and help him out.

I ain't feeling sorry for this fool one bit. If he was there for 3 rings dude got paid. Selling his rings are the price for being fiscally irresponsible. Maybe the next youngsta will forgo the Bentley for an IRA account instead.

SCNDLS said:

True dat.

Former Chicago Bull Randy Brown's three NBA championship rings were sold in an auction this morning for $53,833. The winning bidder, identified only as "RingKing," had to outbid Michael Jordan's publicist and two other unidentified bidders who vied for the rings.

A judge ordered the rings to be sold online through West Auctions following Brown's August 2008 Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. The minimum bid was set at $19,000.
Earlier this month, Brown told the Sacramento Bee that the rings were his most cherished possessions.

"People figure that here's this guy ... he's played in the NBA, he just got fired (as a coach), he's broke, and here he is giving up his championship rings," he told the paper. "That hurt me because those (rings) mean a lot to me."

Among the listed bidders on the West Auction Web site was Estee Portnoy, the longtime publicist for Bulls legend and former Brown teammate Michael Jordan.

Portnoy declined to say whether she was bidding on Jordan's behalf. Her final bid came Tuesday, topping out at $40,000.

"I was just bidding to win," said Portnoy, reached by phone Thursday afternoon. "I didn't win."

Portnoy also declined to say whether she was bidding with the intent of returning the rings to Brown.

"I didn't have any special motivation," she said. "I'm just disappointed I didn't win."

The Sacramento Bee also reported May 5 that Brown was informed he could not regain the rings by way of a third party through the auction. He was told that if he couldn't reclaim the rings, the Bulls could replace them.

Bidding was anonymous, but because it was a public sale conducted on behalf of the bankruptcy court, the name of the final bidder will eventually be released as part of public record.

Brown, a guard on the 1996, 1997 and 1998 Chicago Bulls championship teams, was fired as a Sacramento Kings assistant coach in April.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Michael Jordan is the cheapest millionaire on the planet.

SCNDLS said:

SCNDLS said:

No, I'm afraid Scottie Pippen holds that honor. Why do you think his nickname among restaurant workers and valet drivers is "No Tippin' Pippen"??? Dude is a notoriously horrible tipper if he even tips at all.

I've heard stories of MJ giving waitress $100 tips all the time.

Scottie on the other hand...

Paris9748430 said:

I heard about Scottie too but I waited on MJ and got 3 bucks. I didn't go back to his table after that and when he came looking for me I told him to go to the bar with that shit. I have MANY friends that have waited on him especially in casinos and have seen him win $100k and not tip the waitress, dealer, or anyone else a single dime. Sorry bastid.