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San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes answers questions during a news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, following the Spurs\u2019 115-111 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n
Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014\u00a0De\u2019Aaron Fox has known Harrison Barnes for eight years, first as a teammate in Sacramento and now as a teammate in San Antonio.<\/p>\n
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In all that time, Fox has never laid eyes on one of Barnes\u2019 most prized possession.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve actually never seen HB\u2019s championship ring,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n
Barnes, now a 34-year-old elder statesman with the Spurs, earned an NBA championship ring with the Golden State Warriors in 2015.\u00a0That title represented one of the highlights of Barnes\u2019 life as a professional basketball player.<\/p>\n
The jewelry that came with it, however, is not a bauble Barnes is likely to flaunt.\u00a0There is a good reason for that. He doesn\u2019t necessarily know where his championship ring is currently located.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Spurs ball movement back to normal in Game 3 victory over Knicks<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom probably knows where it is better than I do,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n Luke Kornet, the other member of the Spurs\u2019 roster to own a championship ring, is equally cryptic about the whereabouts of his.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not 100% sure where I\u2019ve got it,\u201d said Kornet, who won his with Boston in 2024.<\/p>\n Barnes, Kornet and the Spurs are in New York this week, fighting an uphill battle against the Knicks in the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n If the Spurs are successful and wind up winning the sixth title in franchise history, every player on the team will receive a ring. If the two players on the squad who already own one are any indication, those rings will quickly become out of sight and out of mind.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not something I carry around a lot,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly something you wear,\u201d Kornet said.<\/p>\n San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet answers questions from reporters during practice at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes answers questions during a news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, following the Spurs\u2019 115-111 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes walks to a news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, following the Spurs\u2019 115-111 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet answers questions from reporters during practice at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n NBA players spend a lifetime scrapping and clawing to win a championship. Most never will.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Those lucky enough to know the feeling of capping a season covered in champagne and kissing the Larry O\u2019Brien trophy remember the experience forever.<\/p>\n The championship ring that accompanies such a triumph, however, can often end up in a junk drawer somewhere.<\/p>\n If it feels like a contradictory sentiment, it is.<\/p>\n All Kornet knows about his ring is that it is not located anywhere in his house.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n READ MORE: Who are the officials tonight for Game 4 of the NBA Finals?<\/a><\/p>\n Given the theft risk involved \u2014 diamond-studded and gold-plated NBA rings can be worth five figures \u2014 Kornet has changed the ring\u2019s location numerous times over the past two years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a funny thing where it\u2019s like a liability,\u201d Kornet said, \u201cso you find other things to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Barnes has another reason for forgetting his championship ring. He doesn\u2019t need it to rekindle memories of the Warriors\u2019 2015 title run.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI lived it,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cI had the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n For some NBA players, it turns out the actual ring\u00a0isn\u2019t the thing.<\/p>\n Spurs center Luke Kornet, on the Knicks\u2019 ball movement: \u201cI think that\u2019s always been a gift of theirs, their understanding of what great shots look like for everyone, and their patience in terms of trying to find those. They’re going to keep prodding, and trying to see what kind\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hvf6zWoVq0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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