Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put 234 items of personal memorabilia up for sale thanks to Goldin Auctions. Among the memorabilia were four of his six championship rings. All four were from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and ended up selling for between $245,500 to $398,937.50 each, according to ESPN. In total, all of the items brought in just shy of $3 million at $2,947,872.25. As reported, this money will go to the Skyhook Foundation which helps kids become more exposed to STEM fields, which ultimately sets them up for success later on in life.
In a blog post last year, Kareem explained his decision to sell off the items instead of keeping them.
"When it comes to choosing between storing a championship ring or trophy in a room or providing kids with an opportunity to change their lives, the choice is pretty simple: Sell it all," Abdul-Jabbar said. "Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I'd rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future. That's a history that has no price."
Among some of the other items at the auction was a signed basketball from his last game, as well as three of his six MVP trophies.