Video: Former-Knicks David Lee Receives His Warriors Championship Ring

Fan favorite and former-New York Knicks big man David Lee finally received his Golden State Warriors championship ring!

Prior to the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks match-up Friday night, David Lee received his NBA championship ring.

Needless to say Lee was very excited to reminisce about the wonderful journey the Warriors took last season, culminating in a NBA championship! (H/T to Associated Press)

"“It’s very special,”“When we got here, we were a losing team. It’s been quite a journey. To end that last year with the ultimate thing you want to accomplish in sports, to win a championship, it’s great to celebrate that and enjoy it for one last time tonight.”"

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The Warriors did a lot of celebrating after their championship, partying in Las Vegas! And according to head coach Steve Kerr, Lee paid for the whole celebration! Which really wasn’t a problem because Lee at that time was the highest-paid player on Golden State’s roster at $15 million. STILL, WHAT A GREAT GESTURE!

Lee was happy to do so, appreciating the fact that every player on the team made the necessary sacrifices to achieve the ultimate goal.

"“The reason why we won a championship last year is because we did it as a team,”“There were guys who made sacrifices, there were guys who stepped up, there were guys who did big things all year long. We won it as a team and I thought the only way to celebrate it was as a team.”"

Lee was probably the player that sacrificed the most for Golden State, accepting a reserve role after suffering a strained left hamstring in the final game of the preseason. The injury forced him to miss 24 out of the first 25 games of the season, which gave Draymond Green the opportunity to showcase his talent.

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Which as we can see now, was a tremendous amount of talent. Green is now one of the top forwards in the NBA, a walking triple-double, currently averaging 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. Green collected the second-most triple-doubles in the league this season with 11, behind only Russell Westbrook‘s 15 triple-doubles. And it was Lee who paved the way for Green’s success, his willingness to accept a smaller role and not cause locker room drama when he returned from injury, can not be quantified. Except maybe in the hardware he now owns!

Indeed, Kerr agrees and said as much prior to the game.

"“David helped us win that championship,”“In a year when we asked him to take a backseat, he handled his role extremely well. He came into the finals when we really needed him and came through. I can’t wait to hear the crowd cheering for him tonight. It’s going to be awesome.”"

It was awesome and the Golden State fans went nuts, cheering for their hero David Lee.

David Lee Ring Ceremony

Lee’s current head coach Rick Carlisle further elaborated that the fan base loves him because not only did he step aside for the betterment of the team, he also helped guide the Warriors during their darker times.

"“When they were a struggling franchise, he was a guy who came on board here and picked them up,”“He was one of the transition guys between the down years and the championship. I know that’s appreciated, and I know people here will give him that love tonight.”"

The Knicks traded Lee (who they had drafted with the 30th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft) to the Warriors in the summer of 2010. Lee spent five seasons with Golden State, averaging 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Warriors held their 2015 championship ring ceremony on October 27, 2015.

Lee missed the Warriors 2015 championship ring ceremony with his obligation to start the season with his team, which is why he is only now receiving his ring at season’s end.

Next: Taj Gibson Embarrassed to Lose to “Trash Teams” like the Knicks

It took 70+ games, but Lee finally got his NBA championship ring!

Congratulations David Lee. Well deserved.

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