Miami's Thomas Bryant to receive championship ring from Nuggets despite suspension
Thomas Bryant celebrates the NBA championship of the last season with the Denver Nuggets.
DENVER (AP) — The NBA will allow suspended Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant to briefly be in Denver’s arena Thursday night so he can receive his 2023 championship ring from the Nuggets in a pregame ceremony.
Typically, suspended players are prohibited from being at the arena during game nights. Bryant is nearing the end of his three-game suspension, a result of his role in a skirmish that occurred during a game between the Heat and New Orleans last week.
However, considering Miami’s only game in Denver this season, the NBA informed the Heat that Bryant can be present to receive his championship ring, which he earned after completing the 2022-23 season with the Nuggets. The Nuggets defeated Miami in the NBA Finals. Bryant joined the Heat as a free agent last summer.
After the ceremony, Bryant will have to exit the arena.
Denver handed out its championship rings on Oct. 24, just before playing its first game of the season. A player no longer with the title-winning team routinely get his ring in the first game against the former club. Otto Porter Jr. received his 2022 championship ring from Golden State when Toronto visited there in early January — a year and a half after Porter was part of the Warriors’ most recent title team.
The rings from Denver’s previous season boast 16 carats of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, symbolizing the 16 playoff victories required to secure a championship.
Last season, Bryant played in 18 regular-season games and one playoff game for the Nuggets. He began the season as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers and was on the court when LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record on February 7, 2023.
Bryant’s final game as a Laker was followed by his trade to Denver two days later, as part of a four-team deal.
