Abdul-Jabbar memorabilia fetches $3m at auction

A trove of NBA memorabilia — including championship rings and MVP hardware from the hall-of-fame basketball career of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, garnered nearly $3 million at an American auction on Sunday.

The 71-year-old former Los Angeles Laker put hundreds of items up for sale with the New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions which fetched a total of $2.9 million.

The lots included four of his six championship rings and three of his most valuable player trophies.

The rings commemorating the Los Angeles Lakers´ titles in the 1980s accounted for four of the five highest sales at the auction´s close. Abdul-Jabbar´s 14K 1987 diamond ring sold for the most at $398,937.

His three MVP trophies (1976, 1974, 1972) all sold for more than $120,000 each. He won six total MVP awards.

A signed ball from his final regular season game in 1989 went for $270,000.

Abdul-Jabbar said "much" of the proceeds would go to his foundation which helps educate children.

"Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I´d rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future," he said.