For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence

Now Open

Included with any admission
Floor 1, Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, Meister Gallery

Collage of athletes experiencing a triumphant moment, over a background of a crowded stadium.

Images courtesy of: AP Images, National Hockey League, New York City FC, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, Major League Baseball, National Archives Catalog, Claressa Shields, New York Road Runners, the New York Liberty, and Gotham FC.

Championship rings. Olympic medals. Jewelry and awards from legendary athletes and teams.

Discover the stories behind the objects that define athletic greatness in For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence, spanning more than 15 sports and nearly 150 years of history.

Featuring an extraordinary collection of trophies, rings, and unique awards, For the Win showcases the tradition of using precious metals and gemstones to commemorate victory.

Now On View: NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy

Featuring the names of every winning team since 1947, the NBA’s trophy is newly engraved with the 2025-26 season champion New York Knicks. Depicting a regulation-size basketball entering a net, it is crafted from sterling silver with gold vermeil by Tiffany & Co and weighs approximately 30 pounds. The Larry O’Brien Trophy on view is owned by the league, distinct from the trophy presented to the Knicks.

The Larry O'Brien championship trophy: sterling silver and gold vermeil trophy that depicts a life-sized basketball entering a hoop and net.

Alvaro Keding and Daniel Kim/© AMNH

For the Win is on view in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.

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Included with any admission.

Highlights include the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, one of Jesse Owens’s gold medals from the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, a 2024 WNBA Championship ring from New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, and Kevin Durant’s 2024 Team USA Olympic gold medal.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (left) and running back Kenneth Walker III (right) hold a shining trophy shaped like a football.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy, handcrafted by global luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. since 1967 for the Super Bowl, is seen here with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (left) and running back Kenneth Walker III (right) following the team’s Super Bowl LX victory. The National Football League’s trophy will be featured in For The Win: Objects of Sports Excellence.
AP Images

The exhibition features over 70 objects across more than 15 sports—including baseball, soccer, tennis, boxing, golf, and swimming, revealing how sports prizes have transformed over time from traditional medals and cups into increasingly elaborate symbols of achievement.

NBA Larry O'Brien Trophy is displayed in an alcove surrounded by basketball graphics next to the entrance of the For the Win exhibition.

The National Basketball Association’s Larry O’Brien Trophy—newly engraved with the 2025-26 season champion New York Knicks—will be displayed at the Museum beginning Monday, July 27, through January 3, 2027. The Larry O’Brien Trophy on view is owned by the league, distinct from the trophy presented to the Knicks.
Alvaro Keding and Daniel Kim/© AMNH

Three display cases labeled "Victory," "Olympics," and "Opportunity." In the "Victory" case, there is a crown, trophy, and rings.

Featuring trophies, rings, and medals that represent athletic achievement and the high value placed on winning, the “Victory” display showcases pieces including Kevin Durant’s 2017 NBA Championship ring, which he won with the Golden State Warriors.
Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/© AMNH

A gold crown with a velvet center inscribed with the words "Babe Ruth Crown Yogi Berra."

Yogi Berra’s Babe Ruth Crown, awarded to the cultural icon in 1975 for his lifetime batting achievements with the New York Yankees.
Alvaro Keding and Daniel Kim/©AMNH

A diamond-studded ring with the diamond studded letters "NY" carved in the center.

Justin Tuck’s 2012 New York Giants Super Bowl ring, adorned with diamond-studded Vince Lombardi Trophies symbolizing the New York franchise’s titles.
Alvaro Keding and Daniel Kim/©AMNH

A trophy shaped like a pair of goggles inside of a circle with text "2016 Golden Goggles Female Athlete of the Year | Katie Ledecky" on the base.

Katie Ledecky’s 2025 Golden Goggles Award, presented by USA Swimming after she was named Female Athlete of the Year for a record tenth time.
Alvaro Keding and Daniel Kim/©AMNH

For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence is generously sponsored by the
Kate W. Cassidy Foundation.

With thanks to our lead corporate sponsor New York Life.