This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/11/2001.
Ron Bontemps, who played in the pivot for Beloit College in the early 1950s, began working for the Caterpillar machinery equipment company following his All-American college career while at the same time playing for the company's amateur basketball team, as did other former Beloit players. The Caterpillar Diesels were so good that against AAU competition that the U.S. Olympic Committee chose the Diesels as the core of the American team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, and they brought home the gold medal by beating Russia 36-25. This is the uniform worn by Bontemps while with the Caterpillar Diesels. In the neck of the jersey is the "Keenan" label and below is the size tag "42." Across the front of the jersey is the name "Caterpillar." The player number "15" appears on both the front and back. The letters are made of gold tackle twill. Included with the uniform are shorts. Inside the waistband is the wash tag and adjacent is the "skinner" label with the size "34." The jersey comes with an additional letter from Bontemps. The jersey shows game-use and appears to have no alterations of any kind.