The Summer Games May 2001

Lot #1042:

1971 Wilt Chamberlain Game-Used & Autographed Road Lakers Jersey

1042. 1971 Wilt Chamberlain Game-Used & Autographed Road Lakers Jersey Wilt Chamberlain attained superstar status the first time he walked onto an NBA court. In his rooke season of 1959-60, Chamberlain led the league with a 37.6 ppg scoring average and 27 rebounds per game playing for the Philadelphia Warriors and he was named both Rookie of the Year and MVP. The "Big Dipper" was the kind of player who could do just about anything on the floor (except shoot free throws) and he proved it by leading the circuit seven times in scoring, 12 times in rebounding. One year, to prove a point, he even led the league in assists. Yet as gigantic as the man and his achievements were, Wilt did not win a full measure of respect until the tail end of his 14-year career. Though he had won a title with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, it wasn't until Chamberlain donned the purple and gold uniform of the Los Angeles Lakers in the late ‘60s that he erased the memories of coming up just a little short against his Boston Celtic nemesis Bill Russell, by being what few thought he could be: a team player. With the Lakers, the 7-footer checked his ego and toned down his own scoring, the better to set up Jerry West and Gail Goodrich while cleaning the boards and making the lane a No Man's Land for all who dared to enter it. Chamberlain made the 1970-71 season his statement as the Lakers cruised to a record 33-game winning streak, a record 69-13 regular season mark and the championship. Chamberlain averaged 14.8 points and 19.2 boards that season, and retired a year later holding seven scoring titles, four MVP awards and over 23,924 points, bettered since only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This Lakers road jersey was worn by Chamberlain during the early ‘70s is made of cheesecloth material which is extremely desirable. On the front tail is the "Tiernan" label. Across the front is the name "Lakers" and on the back is the name "Chamberlain." The letters are made of gold tackle twill on a white tackle twill backing. The "3D" style player number "13" appears on both the front and back of the jersey in white tackle twill on a gold tackle twill backing and there is a strong 9 autograph on the back number "1" in black marker. There is white/purple/gold/white trim around the neck and sleeves. This trim was only used in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons. The jersey shows excellent game-use and appears to have no alterations of any kind.