Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas once proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Laura Govan, with a lavish engagement ring reportedly worth around $400,000 (though some court documents later claimed it was valued at $1 million). The proposal happened in 2008, but the relationship hit a rough patch just eight days later when a major fight led to a temporary breakup. Regretting the expensive gesture, Arenas decided he wanted the ring back, viewing it as a wasteful investment if the engagement wasn’t going to last.

Determined to reclaim it without confrontation, Arenas had a replica ring made for about $10,000 that looked nearly identical. He then rekindled the relationship with Govan, pretending to miss her and wanting to reconcile. According to Arenas’ own accounts in interviews, he maintained this reconciliation—described by some sources as “playing house”—not immediately swapping the rings but waiting patiently for years until the perfect opportunity arose to switch the real one for the fake while building trust.

The deception came to light years later during their final breakup and custody battles over their four children. Arenas posted a photo of the original ring on social media to troll Govan after she claimed financial gains from him, prompting her to realize hers was counterfeit. She sued him, alleging theft or forceful retrieval of the ring. However, Arenas had already sold the genuine piece, using part of the proceeds (around $100,000 by his estimate) for legal fees. The court ultimately ruled in his favor, and Govan lost the case. The saga, which Arenas has openly bragged about, remains one of the most infamous off-court stories in NBA lore.