Chamberlain's 1972 Finals jersey fetches $4.9M at Sotheby's auction
Wilt Chamberlain's 1972 NBA Finals jersey, worn in Game 2 and the clinching Game 5, exceeded expectations at auction at Sotheby's, selling for $4.9 million on Wednesday night, a record for any item of Chamberlain memorabilia.
Chamberlain was named Finals MVP, his first and only Finals MVP Award. (It wasn't given out until 1969, his 14th of 15 NBA seasons; Chamberlain would sit out the 1973-74 season following the San Diego Conquistadors saga.)
The 1972 Finals were notable for the Los Angeles Lakers, whose roster boasted Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Pat Riley, coached by Bill Sharman; it was their first title in Los Angeles after Bob Short moved the franchise west from Minneapolis in 1960, the same year they drafted West.
The previous record for Chamberlain memorabilia was the $1.792 million Chamberlain's rookie year Philadelphia Warriors uniform fetched with SCP Auctions in June, which was the most expensive game-worn vintage (pre-1980) NBA item ever sold.
The $4.9 million Chamberlain Lakers uniform is the third most expensive NBA jersey ever sold at auction behind the autographed $5.8 million Kobe Bryant jersey from his lone MVP season (2007-08) and the $10.1 million "Last Dance" 1998 NBA Finals Michael Jordan jersey - all three auctioned by Sotheby's.
It also becomes the new record holder for game-worn vintage (pre-1980) NBA memorabilia.
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