1972 Indiana Pacers ABA Championship Ring - Player Issued, Larry Cannon #33
Before the Indiana Pacers were an NBA franchise, they were ABA royalty. This is a genuine player-issued 1972 ABA Championship ring in 10k gold with diamonds, made by Herff Jones, and belonging to shooting guard Larry Cannon #33, one of the most talented players of the ABA era.
ABA vs. NBA — why it matters to collectors
The American Basketball Association (ABA) operated from 1967 to 1976 as a rival league to the NBA, producing some of the most exciting basketball ever played and launching the careers of legends including Julius Erving, George McGinnis, and Artis Gilmore. The Indiana Pacers won the ABA Championship in 1972 and 1973, the only championships in franchise history. When the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, only four ABA teams survived the merger, and the Pacers were among them. ABA championship rings are significantly rarer than their NBA counterparts and are prized by serious collectors for their historical significance and scarcity.
The 1972 Pacers defeated the New York Nets four games to two in the ABA Finals, becoming the first team in ABA history to win multiple championships. The team was led by Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, and Freddie Lewis, who was named Finals MVP in one of the ABA's most celebrated title runs.
Crafted by Herff Jones — one of the most respected names in championship ring and award manufacturing — in 10k gold set with diamonds, this ring was made to the exacting standards of its era. An exceptionally rare piece of ABA and Indiana Pacers history.
| Year | 1972 |
| League | American Basketball Association (ABA) |
| Material | 10k Gold with diamonds |
| Manufacturer | Herff Jones |
| Type | Player-issued |
| Original owner | Larry Cannon, #33 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Finals result | Pacers def. New York Nets, 4–2 |
Larry Cannon — Career highlights
- Selected 5th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1969 NBA Draft — and simultaneously selected in the first round of the ABA Draft, choosing the ABA over the NBA
- The only college player that year selected in the first round of both the NBA and ABA drafts to sign with the ABA — a significant coup for the upstart league
- Named All-ABA Second Team in 1970–71 with the Denver Rockets, averaging 26.6 points per game — sixth in the entire ABA in scoring
- The only ABA player in league history to earn an All-ABA Team selection without appearing in an ABA All-Star Game
- Played alongside future legends including Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, and Freddie Lewis in Indiana's back-to-back championship era
- His career was cut short by chronic phlebitis — the same blood clot condition he battled during the 1972 championship run
- Passed away May 29, 2024 — making this ring a final, lasting piece of a remarkable life in professional basketball