The New York Knicks’ Hall of Fame coach William “Red” Holzman grew up playing basketball on the streets and playgrounds of his native Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn. Red went to local Franklin K. Lane High School where he distinguished himself as one of the best basketball players in the city. His play at Lane High earned him a trip to the University of Baltimore upon graduation in 1938. As a tribute to the finest basketball player to come out of Lane High the school named its gymnasium after their famous alum.

Presented here is Red’s high school senior class ring. It is a masterpiece of art deco styling with the Lane High coat of arms on the top in 10-karat gold with royal blue enamel detail mounted on a black stone. The left shank has the year “38” and the right shank has Red’s initials “WH”. The inside is hallmarked with what looks to be the maker’s mark of “OR Co.” along with “10K.” The ring shows heavy wear from honest use with surface scuffs and softening to some of the details. There is a crack along the bottom gold edge of where the black stone is mounted and some nicks along the exposed edges. It also appears that the ring has been resized or repaired on the bottom of its loop some time long ago. The amount of wear on this ring shows that it must have meant a lot to Red and it remained in his possession since his graduation from Lane in 1938. This piece comes from the personal collection of the late Red Holzman with a letter from his family.