Lakers Get Their Rings Tonight ~ Downtown

It wasn't enough that the Los Angeles Lakers notched their 15th championship last season in their 30th NBA Finals appearance, more appearances than any other NBA franchise. They had to go and rub it in with what can only be described as the most fabulous of NBA championship rings yet.

The Lakers went true Hollywood style and contracted a jeweler to the stars (and some of their players) to bling out their 2008-09 championship rings. Lakers fans better have their shades ready during the ring presentation on Tuesday night because this ring is sure to blind.

Some key facts on the the Lakers' championship ice:

Laker gold -- Most rings are 14-karat gold but the Lakers' high-profile jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills, created a special batch of 15-karat Laker gold to commemorate their 15th NBA championship. The ring is made of both white and yellow gold and was built from seven different parts that had to be assembled. Most rings are built as one unit.

Bling that'll blind -- The ring is comprised of 15 diamonds weighing in at 2.85 carats.

Home court advantage -- The Lakers' rings mirror the shape of the exterior of their home arena, the Staples Center. When viewed from the side, you can see the "roof" and "sides" of the Lakers' home court.

Personalization -- In the past every player has had their name and number on the side of their ring. The Lakers went a step above that and laser engraved the image of each player's face on his ring.

Lock-down defense -- Each ring boasts a hand-selected, diamond-engraved "L". The "L" is placed in a different position on each player's ring and is only viewable with a high-powered microscope. This helps authenticate each players piece. For further security and authentification, every ring has a serial number which is stored in a database that only the Lakers themselves and the jeweler can access.

Hollywood packaging, too -- Each ring will be presented in an oversized box roughly the size of a watch box. When opened, each box has two built-in LED spotlights that shine on the ring. Even the ring itself gets royal treatment: it is mounted on a rotating mechanical platform.