NBA players are judged by their bling. They leave their legacies on that all important digit next to the pinky. Presidents and CEOs may be judged on bank accounts and stock prices, but the NBA’s elite put their blood, sweat, and tears into a lifelong journey for jewelry.

In today’s world of free agency and big money contracts, more and more stars are finding gold in a mine other than the one they called home for most of their careers.

So does that compromise their legitimacy, or is it a reward for otherwise impeccable body of work?

Before you question the loyalty of high-profile players who skip town to chase a dream with another franchise, put it in perspective with major players from any other industry.

Jay-Z left Rocafella and Def Jam. Whitney left Bobby. Hell, George Clooney left ER to become a movie star. People work hard to improve their situations. Athletes are no different.

Kevin Garnett doesn’t have a ring yet. Neither does Steve Nash, or Allen Iverson. All of them have MVP’s, but all of them would trade in their bronze statue for diamonds.

NBA MVP’s of yesteryear started the trend of ring chasing. Barkley left Philly to get a ring in Phoenix, but MJ had other plans. So off he went to Houston, only to have John Stockton blow out the candle on that dream with a legendary buzzer-beater to send the Rockets home for good.

Karl Malone spent 18 years in Utah trying to get a ring and came close twice. But he didn’t want to hang up his sneakers until he validated his career, so he packed his bags for L.A. to try to win a championship with Shaq and Kobe. Unfortunately, a sprained knee, and some team drama meant Chauncey and Sheed got to sport the bling.

Today’s game has several superstars vying for a championship with new teams. Garnett and Ray Allen have an excellent chance to win a title in Boston, even though they spent the bulk of their careers in other cities. In fact, until this year, KG had only advanced past the first round once in his illustrious career. Allen’s best shot came in Milwaukee in 2001, falling to A.I. and the Sixers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Speaking of Iverson, he left the City of Brotherly Love in the hopes of finding a ring buried in the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately for him, until that team learns to play some defense, he might as well be searching for a needle in a haystack.

Not every superstar that has left their long time employer searching for greener pastures has come up empty handed. Clyde Drexler was twice denied a championship in Portland before teaming with the Hakeem the Dream for a ring in Houston. Gary Payton had also been to the finals twice before learning that the third time is a charm with Miami in 2006.

Can you blame either one of them? Long regarded as greats at their position, they just needed some “ice”-ing on the cake to cement their place in history.

And now Garnett and Allen are doing the same. They took advantage of a unique situation where they could team with Paul Pierce to form a three-headed monster that no one wants a piece of. And they are doing it together. All three have sacrificed individual statistics, instead focusing on defense and team unity to put together a championship run.

Tim Duncan is known for being unselfish. He’s shared the rock, now he needs to share the jewelry. If Greg Foster, Jacque Vaughn, and Darko Milicic can have rings then KG, AI, and Nash deserve one too.

If they do bring the title back to Boston, KG and Ray Ray will have earned it. They’ve had incredible careers filled with everything but a championship. They’ve put their heart and soul into this game.

The Big Ticket and Jesus Shuttlesworth as NBA champions? Now that has a nice ring to it.