This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 9/7/2013.
The 1960 US men’s Olympic basketball team is widely considered one of the top amateur basketball teams of all time. The team featured four future Hall of Famers in Walt Bellamy, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas. The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit in 2010. In Rome, the Americans dominated their opponents, winning all eight games they played by an average of 42.4 points on their way to winning gold. The 1960 Olympic gold medal offered here is the crowning jewel of the Jerry Lucas Collection, it would be a premier addition to even the most advanced basketball collection. The gold-gilded medal weighs 3.6 oz. (7.9 oz. with the chain) with a 54 mm. diameter (68 mm. with the wreath). The medal was presented to Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas as a member of the 1960 USA Men’s Basketball team that won the gold medal on September 10, 1960. The face of the medal features a design by Florentine artist Giuseppe Cassioli. Created for the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the design was used on all Summer Olympic medals until 2004. The front of the medal depicts a victorious athlete being carried through the stadium by his peers. A banner along the bottom of the bronze wreath surrounding the medal reads “PALLACANESTRO”, which translates to “BASKETBALL”. The verso’s design depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, seated above the stadium along with “GIOCHI DELLA XVII OLIMPIADE ROMA MCMLX” in relief. This translates to “Games of the 17th Olympiad Rome 1960”. “800” has been stamped on the lower portion of the medal and “STAB ARTISTICI FIORENTINI-FIRENZE-” appears in relief in small text along the perimeter. The bronze chain is made of 20 olive leaves, an homage to the ancient Olympic games where winners received a wreath of olive leaves instead of medals. The chain measures approximately 32 inches. The medals of the 1960 Rome Olympics were the only medals to feature the chain of bronze olive leaves. The medal is in NRMT condition and is accompanied by a LOA from Jerry Lucas. A rare opportunity to own a piece of American history.
This lot will come with a hand signed letter from Jerry Lucas as well as a Naismith Memorabilia Basketball Hall of Fame letter of authenticity.
Lots 1–17 presented in this auction catalog are consigned to us directly from NBA Hall of Famer and Top 50 great Jerry Lucas. Jerry Lucas is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. Lucas is one of only three players in history to win championships at every level (high school, college, NBA, Olympics); was named one of the Top Fifty players in NBA history; and named one of the Top 15 All-Time March Madness Players. During his career Lucas was a 7-time All-Pro, was the NBA All-Star Game MVP and is the only forward in league history to pull down 40 rebounds in a game. In 1973, he was a member of the New York Knicks World Championship team. He retired from the game with time remaining on his contract to pursue his passion of education and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. We are honored to present this collection at our 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Auction.