Varejao refuses ring from Cavs

[fairweatherfan]

https://twitter.com/AmicoHoops/status/754764724609351681

Varejao of course started the year with the Cavs but finished with the Warriors.  Gotta say I respect the gesture, though since he gave his entire career to the Cavs I kinda wish he'd taken it.

[jpotter33]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

[max215]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

The team can give a ring to whomever they please. However, only the players on the playoff roster earn the designation of "champion." So, Dahntay Jones is a "champion" with a ring, while someone like Varejao would only get a ring.

[fairweatherfan]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

Don't know if it's a rule or just standard practice but generally if you were on the roster for X amount of games you're entitled to a ring.  Doesn't matter where you wind up.  It's his if he wants it.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Just give it to Durant---he'd do ANYTHING for a ring.

[Roy H.]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

Don't know if it's a rule or just standard practice but generally if you were on the roster for X amount of games you're entitled to a ring.  Doesn't matter where you wind up.  It's his if he wants it.

This suggests there could be both a formal rule and a discretionary one:

There's no NBA policy mandating a ring for players not on the roster by midseason; that decision would be up to the Cavaliers' front office. But, if offered, Varejao told the Cavs he would no accept the ring out of respect for his Warriors teammates, Amico's report said.

To me, that suggests that there may be a rule mandating rings in certain circumstances if a guy is on the roster mid-season?

[Ed Hollison]

I think teams have discretion as to whom to give the rings to, but I'm not sure.

In any case, I kind of respect Varejao for not accepting it. His team got beat by the Cavs in the finals. How could you look back at that ring with anything but mixed emotions?

[Fafnir]

Makes sense especially given that he resigned with the Warriors.

[Surferdad]

Just give it to Durant---he'd do ANYTHING for a ring.

Oh, good one!  TP.

Seriously, this is not a common situation because the team he went to was opposing them in the Finals.  Go can't go from wanting the team to get beat (by yourself) to accepting a ring.  At that level, it is literally only a piece of hardware without any personal meaning.  This was a no-brainer. 

I didn't read the article (also appeared on Yahoo this morning) or the Twitter post, but what has me scratching my head is why the Cavs offered it.  Nice gesture?  That is meaningless too.

[RLewis35]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

Pretty sure teams usually give rings to anyone who played on the team that season.  For example, didn't nomar get a ring in 2004?

[JumpingJudkins]

Don't know how it has worked historically in the NBA, but I know the Red Sox give a ring to anyone who was on the roster at any point during a World Series season.

[bdm860]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

Don't know if it's a rule or just standard practice but generally if you were on the roster for X amount of games you're entitled to a ring.  Doesn't matter where you wind up.  It's his if he wants it.

This suggests there could be both a formal rule and a discretionary one:

There's no NBA policy mandating a ring for players not on the roster by midseason; that decision would be up to the Cavaliers' front office. But, if offered, Varejao told the Cavs he would no accept the ring out of respect for his Warriors teammates, Amico's report said.

To me, that suggests that there may be a rule mandating rings in certain circumstances if a guy is on the roster mid-season?

So I guess the NBA pays for rings for the players (according to this 1985 article), and back in 2011 Mark Cuban stated there's a limit on how much the NBA will spend on their rings after his players wanted rings that cost $150k-$200k.  Although then you have this ESPN article where Cuban claims he spent $1.4m on rings that cost $40k (so that equals 35 rings), and he even gave rings to former players who still work for the team like Rolando Blackman (community relations), Brad Davis  (radio commentary) and Derek Harper (tv commentary).

So my guess would be the league has some rule that says either, they'll buy rings (up to a certain price) for X members of the organization, or that they'll spend $X total on rings, and it's up to the team on how they'll distribute them (i.e. the league will spend $500k on rings, so the team can get 20 rings that cost $25k, or 25 rings that cost $20k, etc.).  Though I believe in many cases the owners will pay to get more or nicer rings for those within the organizatio, and can choose to give the janitor a ring if they want.  Also I believe there's often at least 2 level of rings for those generous owners like Cuban.  The players, coach, GM, probably get the expensive rings that cost $40-$50k, and the rest of the organization (like the video coordinator, marketing director) get much less expensive rings.

While nothing wrong with Varejao's decision, the better PR move is to take the ring and then immediately auction it off to charity or give it to the stereotypical poor disabled super fan that Varegjao spent time visiting in the hospital while with the team.

[fairweatherfan]

Is that standard practice in this situation? Why should he get a ring when he wasn't on the team in the playoffs?

Don't know if it's a rule or just standard practice but generally if you were on the roster for X amount of games you're entitled to a ring.  Doesn't matter where you wind up.  It's his if he wants it.

This suggests there could be both a formal rule and a discretionary one:

There's no NBA policy mandating a ring for players not on the roster by midseason; that decision would be up to the Cavaliers' front office. But, if offered, Varejao told the Cavs he would no accept the ring out of respect for his Warriors teammates, Amico's report said.

To me, that suggests that there may be a rule mandating rings in certain circumstances if a guy is on the roster mid-season?

It does, and also that this particular offer would be discretionary.  Hard to say for sure, but I figured hey, it's not a trade rumor!

[Rakulp]

Since he was on the team opposing the Cavs in the Finals, I'm not sure it would sit well with them...but I was thinking at the time that "hey, he gets a ring no matter what happens!"

I can respect his decision...and should the Warriors have lost to Oklahoma earlier in the playoffs, I suppose he would have taken the ring from the Cavs at that point.

Rak

[crownontherocks]

wasnt varejao seen celebrating with cavs when they won the championship.