Wilt-Chamberlain
Collector Rob Gough adds iconic Gretzky, Kobe, Wilt Chamberlain jerseys to valuable memorabilia collection
It was quite a week for collector Rob Gough.
During a span of six days, the actor and entrepreneur, who has started and sold multiple companies, bought three jaw-dropping pieces of sports memorabilia to add to his ever-growing collection.
On June 12, Gough outbid his competitors to win the jersey Wayne Gretzky wore in his final NHL game, when he scored the final point of his illustrious 20-year hockey career. The New York Rangers sweater, photo-matched to the game at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 1999, is also signed by The Great One. It sold for $715,210 through Grey Flannel Auctions.
Two days later, Gough purchased Kobe Bryant’s jersey from Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals. The photo-matched Los Angeles Lakers home jersey went for $462,000 through Goldin.
On June 17, Gough capped off his trifecta by getting Wilt Chamberlain’s home Philadelphia Warriors uniform he wore during his record-setting rookie campaign in 1959-60. Through SCP Auctions, Gough paid $1,792,289, which is a record for vintage basketball memorabilia. Named NBA MVP in his first season, the Big Dipper averaged 37.9 points and a staggering 27 rebounds per game.
“I’m excited,” Gough told Sports Collectors Digest about his Chamberlain uniform purchase. “Wilt’s rookie season was arguably the most dominant debut season in American sports history. That made this uniform, to me, the most historic vintage game-worn uniform you could get.”
Gough felt like it was the right time to pull the trigger on picking up game-used items from three legendary athletes. He didn’t own any sports memorabilia pieces prior to these transactions.
“I heard there was a very large transaction in the space and I’d been looking at it for a long time,” Gough said. “I just kind of stumbled upon three, I think, incredibly iconic jerseys. There’s nothing more iconic than Wilt’s rookie season jersey where he wore it for every home game, then obviously Wayne Gretzky’s last point and last game and Kobe’s last NBA finals championship game. All three of those jerseys were just so iconic and I thought were such incredible players that I had to get them.”
SCP Auctions VP of Acquisitions & Sales Brendan Wells is thrilled Gough can use the Chamberlain uniform as the centerpiece in his memorabilia collection.
“I’ve been calling it the holy grail of vintage basketball uniforms, but I don’t think you’re going to get anything that comes close to that when it’s all said and done,” Wells said. “In my personal opinion, unless you were to find a Bill Russell uniform that he wore like the entire season, plus he was photo-matched in multiple games, including the Finals, that would kind of measure up. One of his jerseys that he wore in Game 7 in ’69 went for $1.1 million in the Bill Russell Collection, I think it was a year and a half ago or so, and [Wilt] surpassed that pretty easily.
“I just feel like it should measure up to me because it’s the most dominant rookie season in sports history. You could maybe use the word arguably; I wouldn’t even use that word, arguable. I think it’s inarguable, because no one has had even close to the level of dominance in a rookie season.”
The uniform is the only one known to exist from Chamberlain’s first season. Wells noted the jersey and shorts were photo-matched conclusively with six to seven images from Warriors games.
“This is like a one-of-one. It’s a relic,” Wells said. “It’s a one of a kind. It’s a museum-worthy piece. If this market continues to do what it’s been doing and keeps climbing steadily, who’s to say that thing’s not worth $10-$15 million in five to 10 years?
“We were very happy to break a world record for that, it deserved it. I think Rob Gough got a good price for that, to be honest with you. He paid a world-record price, but that is a jersey that will continue to grow in value, there’s no doubt.”
Sports memorabilia is hot right now. That segment of the hobby has been for a while.
Gough is riding the wave along with other diehard collectors.
“I just think when you see Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ Finals jersey sell for over $10 million at Sotheby’s from a game that he lost, and you know Jordan’s got the Game 6 [jersey] and I know one other jersey that the guy won’t sell for anything less than $20 million, so I think when there’s such a limited supply, you can’t replace them,” Gough said.
“Cards, there’s a lot of them. With memorabilia, certain key pieces, specifically that Jordan jersey, Jordan’s so iconic and when you can’t replace it, I think on these things, the values are endless.”
THE ‘BEST OF THE BEST’
Gough’s collection started with the highly-publicized acquisition of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card graded PSA 9 in January 2021. PSA has only graded six 9s and just three 10s in its 30-plus years in business.
Gough is always searching auctions to find cards to add to his collection. When he talked to SCD in January 2021, his goal was to find a 1980 Topps Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rookie card in a PSA 10. He crossed that off the list — a few times.
“I’ve picked up a lot of things, traded a few things,” Gough said.
One of the biggest cards Gough has purchased recently is a 1996 E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant in a PSA 10. There are only four cards in that highest grade slabbed by PSA.
“I think it’s the best Kobe card ever,” said Gough, noting it’s numbered 30 out of 499.
Gough is acquiring a lot of low-population items and getting a mix of all the four major sports.
“The best of the best,” Gough said. “I just kind of like the greats, and the best of those greats.”
The next big piece Gough is eyeing to add to his collection? It comes with a hefty price tag — around $20 million.
“I think the Jordan Finals ‘Last Dance’ game-used, photo-matched, those are insane,” he said.
You Also Might Like: Pete Maravich cards keeping Pistol Pete's legacy alive
