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Not everyone who works for the Cavs or Quicken Loans Arena will get a diamond-encrusted ring like the one Richard Jefferson showed on his Snapchat, but they're getting 2016 title rings nonetheless.
(Richard Jefferson's Snapchat)
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- From LeBron James down to the guy who sold you a hot dog on a Wednesday night at The Q, the entire Cavaliers' family is getting a 2016 NBA championship ring.
Majority owner Dan Gilbert and his partners decided to present rings to more than 1,000 full and part-time employees throughout the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization, employees who've been fitted for rings told cleveland.com.
A spokesman for the Cavs confirmed the information but declined to comment.
Of course, not every team employee will get the same, diamond crusted ring that's going to rest on the fingers of James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and other players from last season, but ticket takers, seat ushers, security guards, Cleveland police officers and all who work behind the scenes at home games will be able to say they won a ring. And they'll have proof.
The same goes for rings commemorating the Lake Erie Monsters' AHL Calder Cup victory from last season. Virtually all employees involved with Monsters' operations, including some who work for the Columbus Blue Jackets (the Monsters' NHL affiliate) will get rings.
Employees learned about the rings earlier this month at something called the "Spectaculars," a company-wide (Cavs, Monsters, Quicken Loans Arena) yearly meeting and employee-recognition event. The gesture extends to workers for Aramark, the contractor that supplies food-service workers for Cavs and Monsters home games.
A conservative cost for distributing rings to employees is more than $1 million.
The Cavs declined to say whether or not former coach David Blatt -- who was fired in January -- or former center Anderson Varejao (traded in February) were getting rings. But Gilbert is obviously in a mood to be inclusive.
Varejao, who played for the Warriors against the Cavs in the Finals, told reporters out West the Cavs had offered him a ring. Anderson, who played for Cleveland from 2004-16, said he was unsure if he would accept.
The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Blatt would get a ring, but both Gilbert (through a spokesman) and Cavs general manager David Griffin would not confirm the report.
Blatt is coaching pro basketball in Turkey.