Las Vegas Sun

April 19, 2024

Counterfeit NBA championship rings seized at LA airport

Counterfeit Rings

U.S. Customs and Border Protection / AP

This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a collection of counterfeit NBA championship rings that have been seized by federal authorities at Los Angeles International Airport. CBP said Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 that the rings were in a wooden box shipped from China with a final destination in Arizona. Investigators suspect the intent was to sell the phony rings as a collection.

LOS ANGELES — Twenty-eight counterfeit NBA championship rings have been seized by federal authorities at Los Angeles International Airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says Wednesday that the rings were in a wooden box shipped from China with a final destination in Arizona.

Investigators suspect the intent was to sell the phony rings as a collection.

Inspectors confirmed the rings were fake and in violation of trademarks for the NBA and several teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs.

No arrests were immediately announced.

Officials say if the rings were real, the collection could be worth more than $550,000.