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Historic Bill Russell jersey up for bid at Goldin
In 1966, basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell helped lead the Boston Celtics to their eighth straight NBA championship.
The jersey that Russell wore in Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals is up for bid in Part One of the Fall Goldin 100 Auction. Extended bidding begins on Nov. 16.
Russell scored a team-high 25 points and grabbed 32 rebounds in Game 7 to lead the Celtics to their ninth championship in the Russell era. A year later, Russell took over as a player-coach, becoming the first black head coach in league history. He won two more championships as a player-coach, bringing his total to a record 11 NBA titles.
“This is one of the most important items from one of the most important and legendary basketball players of all time,” Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin said. “A personally signed and inscribed Bill Russell jersey from one of his biggest games is almost impossible to match—not only from Bill Russell but also across the collectibles landscape. Writing 'game-use jersey' himself? We may never see something like that again,”
The jersey, which still has soil stains, features Russell’s signature on the front bottom. It was photo-matched to Game 7 of the 1996 finals by Resolution Photomatching, MeiGray and Randolph LOA.
