Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Uniform Auctioned For Record $1.79M

Wilt Chamberlain as a rookie was already an unstoppable force. He averaged over 37 points and 27 rebounds per game that season, making it to the Eastern Conference Finals (where his Philadelphia Warriors lost to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in six games). This was the 1959-1960 season, the first of many for Wilt's storied career. His jersey during that season has just been immortalized at auction, selling for a record $1.79 million. (TMZ Sports broke the news first.)

SCP Auctions, Inc., a memorabilia store in Laguna Niguel, CA, claims the sale is a record for any vintage sports item. Chamberlain's number 13 jersey with the patented "Phila" shorthand is an easily recognizable piece of memorabilia. The man was a walking stat sheet, averaging 30 points a game for his career and almost 23 rebounds a game. He shot well over 50 percent from the floor and rarely came out of the game, averaging almost 46 minutes. (A basketball game lasts 48 minutes.)

Wilt Chamberlain's Legacy

(Original Caption) Boston Celtics' Bill Russell (rear) pins Warriors' Wilt Chamberlain's right arm, and holds him, during a wild 4th quarter in which both sides fought. Boston won the game, 119-104, at Boston Garden, to take a 3-2 game advantage over the Warriors in the series.

A tireless rebounder and a prolific scorer, Wilt used his 7-foot-1 height to his advantage as one of the tallest centers around in the 1960s. He played an entire decade with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors/76ers, heralding the organization through multiple locations and name changes. He spent the last five years of his career with the L.A. Lakers, playing every game save for one injury-ridden season. At the height of his powers, he averaged a whopping 50 points and 25 rebounds per game. No one in the NBA today could ever dream of coming close.

Wilt's jersey came with the short shorts worn at nearly every home game during the '59-'60 season. Three authenticators photo-matched the uniform to pictures of the late Wilt dominating that year, confirming its legitimacy. Wilt Chamberlain won both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in his first NBA season, a sign of things to come. Wilt was nothing short of incredible throughout his entire life, until his death in 1999. The new owner of "The Big Dipper's" jersey and shorts (unknown at this time) should be ecstatic to have such a priceless piece of sports history.

[Via]