Wilt Chamberlain Jacket Sells for Nearly $90K
Wilt Chamberlain Jacket Sells for Nearly $90K
A teenager’s $3 thrift-store purchase turned into a major payday after the item was identified as a jacket once worn by Philadelphia basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain.
Nineteen-year-old Quinn Brown found the gold Los Angeles Lakers warmup jacket at a Goodwill store near Portland, Oregon. Brown paid just $3.07 before researching the jacket and discovering it matched one Chamberlain wore during the 1972 NBA Finals.
The jacket was later authenticated by Sotheby’s and sold at auction for $89,600 after receiving 48 bids. The auction house had originally estimated that the rare piece of sports history could sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.
Chamberlain helped the Lakers defeat the New York Knicks in the 1972 NBA Finals and was named Finals MVP. Before becoming an NBA icon, Chamberlain grew up in Philadelphia and starred at Overbrook High School. He later played for the Philadelphia Warriors and the 76ers during his legendary career. Not bad for a jacket that cost less than four dollars.
