This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 2/11/2012.
The most significant individual achievement in NBA history occurred on March 2, 1962 when the NY Knicks traveled to Hershey, PA to take on Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia Warriors. During a season in which he would set an NBA record with an unthinkable 50.4 ppg scoring average, basketball fans everywhere wondered what it might be like if Chamberlain were to reach the century mark in a single game. Warriors Coach Frank McGuire was bold enough to predict that Chamberlain was capable of triple digits and it was on that fateful March day that Chamberlain proved him right. Wilt began the game against the Knickerbockers by making his first twelve foul shots; a surprising achievement for a man who only made fifty-one percent of his career free throws; but even more special was the way in which Wilt kept pouring on the points. Twenty-three points in the first quarter and eighteen in the second gave him forty-one at the half, but Wilt picked up the pace with twenty-eight third quarter points to head into the final quarter just short of his two previous NBA scoring records (73 & 78). Chamberlain scored his record seventy-ninth point with 7:51 remaining and has amassed eighty-nine points with five minutes remaining. Though the Knicks attempted to avoid humiliation by using up the 24 second clock on each trip down the floor, McGuire sent substitutes into the game to foul their opponents and regain possession. A Chamberlain dunk with 46 seconds remaining in regulation gave him one hundred points. The crowd immediately rushed onto the court resulting in a five minute delay until order was restored. Wilt “The Stilt” had made history; 100 points in a single NBA game, a record that still stands and that no one has even come close to. Somehow preserved in all this madness was the two-page official scorer’s score sheet, offered here. Point by point and foul by foul, the official scorer constantly updated the sheets as the Warriors and Knicks tallied up the 169-147 final score. Each white sheet measures 11” x 8-1/2” and shows evidence of being removed from a book. Each is filled out in pencil, one sheet per respective team. Almost as remarkable as the sheet’s appearance is the bold signature of Chamberlain himself adjacent to his name on the Warriors sheet, added at a later date in blue marker which rates a 9. Also included is an original program from the historic game, “The Wigwam” featuring Chamberlain on the cover in his number “13” Warriors jersey, dated “Friday March 2, 1962”, EX overall condition with light cover creasing; original newspaper box score cut out from the game titled “Wilt’s 100” signed by Chamberlain in blue marker rating a 7-8, NM overall; original “Table-Working Press” ticket that would appear to have belonged to the official scorer and attendee. Written on the ticket is “Wilt’s 100 Pt. Game at Hershey, PA 3-2-62” in blue ink, EX overall with light toning. This is basketball history. Opportunity to own a treasure of this magnitude only comes along once a generation, and here it is. As gigantic as the man himself. Accompanied by a full LOA from JSA for the signatures.