A weeklong auction of memorabilia from the collection of eleven-time NBA Champion Bill Russell culminated in a live event at the TD Garden in Boston on Friday.
The two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member offered a total of 429 entries, including two of his NBA championship rings – the first and the last – and the Celtics jersey he wore to his final NBA game.
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“There’s no question that this is one of the most significant athletes’ collections ever to be auctioned,” said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, who has also worked on collections by Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and Roberto Clemente.
“We have been very fortunate to work with some of the icons in the sport. There’s no question that Bill is part of that group, ”added Hunt.
How much did Bill Russell’s memorabilia auction?
In total, according to The Associated Press, the top 18 items in the auction came in for over $ 5.3 million.
The best-selling item was the jersey that Russell wore in his last NBA game, the 1969 World Cup final, which earned him and the Celtics their 11th championship in 13 years.
The 87-year-old NBA legend has pledged a portion of the proceeds from the auction to MENTOR, which connects young people with counselors who offer them opportunities they might otherwise miss, and to Boston Celtics United for Social Justice, which works for social Justice fights racial injustice and social inequality in the greater Boston area.
| article | Sold for |
| Final NBA jersey | More than $ 1.1 million |
| 1. NBA ring | $ 705,000 |
| Olympic gold medal 1956 | $ 587,500 |
| 5 NBA MVP trophies | More than $ 1.3 million combined |
Earlier this week, young NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley expressed an interest in bidding on items given what was on sale.
“I would like to take some of this stuff off of them,” O’Neal said Tuesday on TNT’s Inside the NBA show. “Nobody outbids me to have all 11 of these rings.”
“What he’s done for civil rights in this country is second to none,” Barkley said on the program. “He and (Muhammad) Ali will always be my heroes in that regard. It’s easy now to be a social justice guy when you’ve got $ 100 million, you make $ 30-40 million a year, but these guys have it done all the heavy lifting back then. I think I could take a look at this auction and bid on something. “
One of the articles related to Russell’s civil rights activities was a page from his guest book. It contained a signed letter from the late Jackie Robinson and was auctioned for $ 94,000.
