Give up a transistor radio, get a rare Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jersey that is going to fetch more than $1 million.
That was the parking-lot swap that auctioneers say a savvy consignor made in the late 1970s outside the Forum in Inglewood while waiting with fellow autograph seekers for players to emerge after a Lakers game.
Maybe that consignor has absolved the Milwaukee Bucks of making one of the worst trades in sports history when they shipped Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers in 1975 for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters.
The jersey in question was one that Abdul-Jabbar – then known as Lew Alcindor – wore in one national championship and a subsequent Final Four semifinal while playing for UCLA in the late 1960s.
Give up a transistor radio, get a rare Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jersey that is going to fetch more than $1 million. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The jersey in question was one that Abdul-Jabbar – then known as Lew Alcindor – wore in one national championship and a subsequent Final Four semifinal while playing for UCLA in the late 1960s.
That jersey is now on pace to be sold for more than $1 million – with three weeks of bidding to go in an auction that ends Aug. 16.
Grey Flannel Auctions confirmed the authenticity of the jersey by professionally photo-matching it to the one that Abdul-Jabbar wore in the Bruins’ 1968 national title victory over North Carolina – a game in which the 7-footer tallied 34 points and 16 rebounds – and a 1969 semifinal triumph over Drake in which he was equally dominant with 25 points, 21 rebounds and 3 assists. At the end of the latter season, Abdul-Jabbar became the first recipient of the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
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Showing considerable wear, the white Sand Knit jersey features classic UCLA blue-and-gold trim with blue tackle twill “UCLA” lettering and number “33” on both the front and back.
According to the auctioneers, it’s the only known jersey of its kind matched across multiple games and seasons, making it a rare piece of memorabilia given that Abdul-Jabbar did not swap it out for a new jersey.
“Museum-quality collegiate jerseys of this magnitude simply do not exist,” Michael Russek, Director of Operations for Grey Flannel Auctions, said in a statement. “To now conclusively tie this jersey to UCLA’s 1968 national championship game, the championship net-cutting celebration and then multiple games during the following season — including the 1969 Final Four — takes it to a level of its own.
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‘It tells the story of one of the greatest dynasties in sports history through a single surviving artifact. We believe it is among the most important collegiate basketball jerseys ever offered at public auction.”
Widely considered the most dominant college basketball player of all-time, Abdul-Jabbar won three titles with the Bruins – he wasn’t eligible to play for the varsity team as a freshman – while going an absurd 88-2 over his career.
Widely considered the most dominant college basketball player of all-time, Abdul-Jabbar won three titles with the Bruins – he wasn’t eligible to play for the varsity team as a freshman – while going an absurd 88-2 over his career. AP
Abdul-Jabbar, who will turn 80 in April, finished his 20-year pro career as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points before being surpassed by LeBron James in 2023. Known for his unguardable sky hook, Abdul-Jabbar spent the final 14 years of his NBA career with the Lakers, winning five titles.
More than 50 years after he played his last game for UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar might be on the verge of playing a part in another record.
