A jersey worn by one of America’s all-time great athletes just sold at auction for an astounding figure.
On Sunday, a jersey worn by NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain sold for whopping $393,354.
The Hall-of-Famer wore the jersey at least three times in the 1968-69 NBA season, his first as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not only does the jersey have significance for the novelty of Wilt’s first year of his Lakers run, it was also worn during a game on Jan. 26, 1969 in which Chamberlain scored 60 points against the Cincinnati Royals led by a fellow all-time great, Oscar Robertson.
Using photo matching, a sports memorabilia authenticating company was able to confirm that the Lakers away jersey was worn by Chamberlain during that game, as well as two others on Jan. 21 and Feb. 18.
During that three-game stretch while wearing the jersey, Chamberlain combined for 95 points and 64 rebounds, including two double-doubles and the 60-point outing.
Photo-matching has become an increasingly reliable form of authenticating sports memorabilia, industry experts say.
In August, a photo-matched jersey worn by Babe Ruth during his legendary “Called Shot” game will head to auction, and is expected to be fetch one of the largest purchase prices ever for a piece of American sports history.
Grey Flannel Auctions, the auction house that offered the jersey, had this to say about the legend that was “Wilt the Stilt.”
“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”
“He was bigger than basketball, one of the few early athletes to straddle the line of sports and pop culture. The most awesome offensive force the game has ever seen,” the Arizona-based auction house wrote in its listing.
Chamberlain played 14 seasons in the NBA and retired as the league’s leader in both points and rebounds, with the latter record still standing to this day. He led the league in scoring in seven consecutive seasons, was the top rebounder in 11 of his 14 campaigns and had the league’s most total assists in the 1967-68 season.
While this jersey isn’t as paramount to the tale of Wilt Chamberlain as the one worn in his famed 100-point game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, it still marks an indelible moment in the career of a man who had no shortage of iconic moments.