Ex-NBA Player Gilbert Arenas is receiving a lot of flak after he revealed that he deliberately found his way back together with his ex-wife just to swap out her $400k diamond engagement ring for a fake one.
In what could be mistaken for a story from a Hollywood love thriller, the basketball star spilled the details in an interview with VladTV that he proposed to his then-fiancée, Laura Govan, with a real 15-karat diamond ring. However, they got into a big fight days after the engagement, leading to their temporary breakup.
“So, I paid, I think, $395k or $495k for the real one,” Arenas, who played for the Golden State Warriors from 2001 to 2003, said about the ring. “It had big stones… it was a big stone in the middle, and then it had three stones on the side.”
Ex-NBA Player Swaps Real Diamond Ring for Fake
But when things didn’t go according to plan, the basketball star pulled a sneaky stunt by swapping the $400K diamond ring with a fake version that cost only ten grand. Like a well-hatched plan, the ex-NBA Player said it took him years to switch out the fake ring even though he always had the option to switch it, but he waited for the right opportunity.
“When we broke up, I’m like, ‘That was a f***ing waste of money. I want my ring back.’ So, I was like, ‘How do I get my ring back?’ I just got to get her back, but when she comes back, I’mma has a fake one,” the former Memphis Grizzlies point guard narrated.
Unfortunately, his revelation didn’t go down well with many people, including rapper 50 Cent, who shared the story on his Instagram page with the caption, “LOL YO he said nah I gotta get that ring back.”
Lawsuit by Laura
While people shared varied opinions about the story, some believed Arenas was petty. “He’s so petty. Why buy a 400k ring if you really didn’t want her to have that in the first place?” one person said, while another commented, “Nah, he’s in the hall of fame of finesse.”
Arenas further disclosed that he was then hit with a lawsuit by Laura concerning the real diamond ring. According to court documents Laura filed, the massive diamond-encrusted ring had a reported valuation of $1 million, accusing her ex of forcibly taking back the ring after the breakup.
Interestingly, the former basketball star noted that he was unconcerned about the legal fees as he could have used the money from selling the ring to pay his lawyers. The case was, however, dismissed in 2016 after Govan and her attorney missed multiple court dates.
Ex-NBA Player Hits Back at Laura
In 2015, when the case was filed, Arenas publicly hit back at Laura in an Instagram post, saying, “When [yo]u have a million dollar ring made, you also have a fake one made JUST in case s—t doesn’t workout… let’s say s—t didn’t workout and she has the fake one…no need to forcefully take a ring back if it’s been sitting in a safe this whole time, smdh. Why sell it when I can pass it down to my kids?”
The couple, who share four children, dated for over a decade — from 2002 through 2014. Arenas proposed to the ‘Basketball Wives LA’ alumna in 2008.
However, it is unclear if the new revelation of the retired NBA player will trigger another legal drama. Be sure to keep checking totalapexentertainment.com for updates on this story.
About the Author
Ernest Dela Aglanu is a content writer based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for over a decade and worked for media companies worldwide, including Benzinga, based in Detroit, Michigan.
For More Great Content
Total Apex is an all-encompassing content producer. We provide heavily detailed articles every day on entertainment, gaming, sports, and so much more! Check out all our great sports content at Total Apex Sports. Check us out on X @TotalApexEandG and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.