1972 Wilt Chamberlain jersey expected to sell for $4M+ at auction

Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey is expected to sell for over $4 million at Sotheby’s online auction house. Online bidding for the NBA Hall of Famer’s Los Angeles Lakers jersey will run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. ET.

The current record sale for a Chamberlain sports memorabilia item is $1.79 million in June 2023. Of course, it was for a jersey worn during his 1959-60 rookie season with the Philadelphia Warriors.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, the Los Angeles Lakers hold seventh-shortest odds to win next season’s 2024 championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

“On May 7, 1972, this gold Los Angeles Lakers jersey was worn as Wilt Chamberlain, nursing a broken hand sustained in the prior game of the 1972 NBA Finals, clinched his second and final NBA championship, the first ever championship for the Los Angeles Lakers, and his sole NBA Finals MVP award,” the auction description reads.

Playing with a broken hand in Game 5 of the 1972 NBA Finals, Chamberlain recorded 24 points and 29 rebounds against the New York Knicks while shooting 10-of-14 (71.4%) from the field in 47 minutes as a starter. Equally important, the 13-time All-Star went on to receive his only Finals MVP award.

The 1972 NBA Finals jersey of Los Angeles Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain is expected to sell for over $4 million at Sotheby’s online auction house

According to the NBA record books, four of the top five highest-scoring performances in NBA history still belong to Chamberlain, including a 100-point effort against New York on Mar. 2, 1962. Not to mention, the 7-foot-1 center also logged 78 points once and 73 points twice.

Furthermore, Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most points-per-game through an NBA season (50.4 PPG), the most points in an NBA season (4,029), and most 50-point games in a single season (45). On Nov. 24, 1960, the seven-time scoring champ grabbed a career-high 55 rebounds against the Boston Celtics and never fouled out.

“This jersey holds an extraordinarily significant place in the history of Los Angeles, not only adorned by the man many consider to be the greatest player ever to step on the court, but as a relic from one of the greatest franchises in sports history,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles.

The NBA legend’s jersey is being offered with a collection depicting it in magazines, newspapers, photographs, trading cards and more, per ESPN. Additionally, his jersey will be on display for the public at the Sotheby’s Los Angeles gallery from Aug. 2 to Aug. 31.