The auction house that is selling Jim Brown’s 1964 NFL championship ring insists that it was obtained legally, despite Brown’s contention that it was stolen.
Josh Evans, chairman of Lelands.com, told the Pioneer Press that his company obtained the ring legally and that Brown has known for years that the relative he gave the ring sold it to a collector.
“We never sell anything that has been stolen or not authenticated,” Evans said. “It’s unfortunate that [Brown] has gone in this direction, but it came from a family member who turned around and sold it.”
Evans said he was involved in a previous sale of the ring, and that Brown saw the ring at a sports memorabilia show in 1998 and never claimed it was stolen.
“We advertised selling the ring at a show in the Midwest,’’ Evans said. “I think it was in Cleveland. And Jim was going to be at the show signing autographs. He called and we talked and he said he would be there. He was very polite. At the show, he came over to the booth and asked to see the ring. I showed it to him. He looked at it and he studied it and he knew it was his. And that was it. He never said anything.”
And so Lelands is still selling the ring. The current bid is $36,602.50.