Grey Flannel to auction historic basketball memorabilia Sept. 8 at Basketball Hall of Fame

August 23, 2007

Bid live online through LiveAuctioneers.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Absentee bidding is under way in the run-up to an all-star auction of basketball memorabilia to be held Sept. 8 at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The sale will be conducted in conjunction with the Second Annual Basketball Hall of Fame Induction, held at the famed birthplace and shrine of basketball, with real-time Internet bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Bidders are already pushing north the price of George Mikan's game-used Minneapolis Lakers jersey from 1947-’48, Bill Russell's game-used All-Star game jersey from 1959, Bob Cousy's Celtics road warm-up and Michael Jordan's game-used Dream Team jersey from 1992. “This auction is exclusively basketball, and we are showcasing some of the finest basketball memorabilia in the world, in the best possible setting,” said Richard Russek, president of Grey Flannel Auctions. Every collector who bids online will have a rare opportunity to win a unique piece of history.

Last year's blockbuster inaugural event showcased a Julius “Dr. J.” Erving jersey that fetched a record price of more than $140,000. In addition to items already mentioned, the second annual sale features more garb from Hall of Famers: an NBA All-Star game jersey worn Erving in 1978, a Jo Jo White green Celtics jersey, an NBA 50 Greatest Players signed lithograph and Magic Johnson's 50 Greatest Players leather jacket worn at the 50th Anniversary All-Star game. Also to be auctioned are Larry Bird's “50 Greatest” jacket, Jordan's 1993 NBA All-Star jersey, with a letter of authenticity from Commissioner David Stern; a Wilt Chamberlain All-Star game jersey and a pre-game Pittsburgh Rens warm-up worn by Connie Hawkins.

It also contains a basketball attributed to Wilt Chamberlain's historic 100-point game on March 2, 1962, at the Hershey Park Arena in Hershey, Pa. This is the ball that a then-14-year-old fan, Kerry Ryman, swooped in and snatched as many of the 4,124 spectators stormed the court shortly after Chamberlain slammed home the final two points with 46 seconds remaining.

Added to the 208 lots in the sale are college jerseys from the most exciting college draftees of 2007, as well as an extensive, historic collection of memorabilia from the American Basketball Association, the league that produced the red, white and blue basketball.

Grey Flannel Auctions is in its second year of a five-year partnership with the Basketball Hall of Fame to combine a stellar auction as part of the annual Hall of Fame induction festivities. “For nearly two decades, we’ve proudly served as the appraisal and consultant to the Hall of Fame’s artifact collection,” said Russek. “To be involved with this extraordinary organization is nothing short of a privilege.”

Grey Flannel, founded in 1989 in New York by Richard Russek, serves as the official appraiser for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum in Springfield, Mass. It also worked with Sotheby's in authenticating the largest private collection of jerseys, the Barry Halper collection, part of which now resides in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. The auction house has its headquarters and galleries in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

To view all lots, to place a bid online or to register to bid live via the Internet on auction day, go to www.liveauctioneers.com.