What is the Olympic tradition of pin trading? Snoop Dogg’s personalised item goes viral online

Snoop Dogg's endeavors at the 2024 Paris Olympics seem to have no end as the rapper continues to participate in iconic traditions. This week, the 90-year-old rapper embraced one of the oldest Olympic traditions as he traded his custom pin with Team US tennis star Coco Gauff.

Snoop's participation in the pin-trading legacy highlights the prominence of the Olympic tradition, which began in Athens in 1896. The early Olympic pins were made with cardboard and signified media personnel and athletes. Back then, the pins were a way for people to associate with each other and build new connections.

As the Olympics progressed through the last century, the pins became durable collectibles for sports fans and athletes alike. The Olympic pins are now available to most athletes, journalists, sponsors, team staff, and even employees.

Snoop dipped his toes in the pin-trading Olympic tradition earlier this week (Image via Remon Haazen / Getty Images)

Snoop Dogg, who has been at the center of the 2024 Paris Olympics, is also partaking in the century-old tradition with a unique, custom pin. The rapper's pin, which has a silver-card-like design, has already gone viral, with both athletes and fans aiming for one.

It features Snoop right beside the Eiffel Tower, embracing his love for smoking. The pin portrays the rapper blowing five smoke rings resembling the blue, yellow, black, green, and red Olympic rings.

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Snoop Dogg's 2024 Paris Olympics pin-trade and more about the long-running tradition

Coco Gauff, the tennis star on the United States team, is seemingly the first 2024 Paris Olympics athlete to receive Snoop Dogg's custom pin. The rapper officially entered the pin-trading game on Tuesday, July 30, when he offered Coco Gauff the glossy pin.

Snoop Dogg's pin was a heartfelt appreciation for the tennis star who gave her all at the women's tennis singles and doubles before she was eliminated on Wednesday. Coco Gauff was up against Croatia's Donna Vekić on Tuesday and was eliminated after losing straight sets in the third round.

She was paired with Jessica Pegula for the women's doubles on Wednesday, July 31. The Team US tennis pair conceded victory to Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic. The Czech duo changed the game in the match tiebreaker with the score of 2-6, 6-4, 10-5.

Snoop cheered Gauff's determination and efforts by trading his pin with the Team US tennis star.

“Hey Coco, I got something for you, beautiful. This is for you. Great game today.” said Snoop Dogg.

Gauff responded to Snoop Dogg and thanked him for the thoughtful gift:

"Hey Mr. Snoop, thank you for this pin! This is the best pin that I've ever gotten... I hope to see you at US Open."

The pin-trading tradition is recognized as an unofficial game by the Olympic committee. While there may be no medals for those with the most unique and rare pins, the fun activity helps them take off the stress of the competition.

Readers must note that the Olympic committee divides the pins into four different categories, including:

• National Olympic Committee pins - They represent the participating country.
• Host city pins - They represent the landmarks and culture of the city hosting the game.
• Media pins - They represent major broadcasters and journalists covering the games.
• Sponsor pins - The official sponsors of the game create their unique pins.

The rarity of a pin often depends on the person or athlete it signifies. With Snoop Dogg only known to have handed out one pin, the rapper's pin seems to be one of the rarest collectibles currently.

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People may only be able to get Snoop Dogg's pins if the rapper begins handing them out to fans. However, fans can still choose from numerous other pins from the Olympics merch store at - shop.olympics.com.

The pins start at over €4.80 ($5.18) and come in different designs, including the 2024 Olympics mascot, Olympic torch, and more.