The story of the former professional athlete -- once swimming in millions for his services -- going bankrupt is nothing new. It happens far too frequently, and it suggests that pro athletes in general need a better way of handling their money. Frankly, it's sad.
So it goes for former Bulls guard Randy Brown, who played a spot role on the legendary championship-winning Chicago Bulls teams in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Brown is apparently bankrupt since he lost his job as a Sacramento Kings assistant. As part of his asset liquidation, a judge has given a California auction house license to sell off Brown's three NBA title rings. Like I said: sad.
But also a great opportunity! Hey-hey! Got a huge pair of hands and a burning desire to take indirect credit for an achievement you had nothing to do with? Of course you do:
West said it will take a big man to wear the jewel-encrusted rings. The first two are size 12-1/4, and the last is size 12-1/2. "Very big," said auctioneer Daniel West, one of the firm's co-owners. "If you can palm a basketball you have to have pretty big fingers."
So, big hands are one requirement. The other is deep pockets. The bidding will start at $19,000, and West claims the rings were appraised for around $40,000, without the collector's value added in.
Here's your shot. A Chicago Bulls title ring. Pretty nice, right? But here's where we'll get all naive and hopeful and admit that in our dream world, some really rich Bulls fan with money to blow buys these and gives them back to Randy Brown. He earned them. Sure, he was merely Randy Brown, and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had much more to do with the three titles. But he had to go to practice, man. Practice. Wind sprints suck, all right?
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
