El Segundo, CA, USA, June 8, 2024 — An outstanding single-owner collection of sports memorabilia featuring basketballs signed by legends Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and James Worthy; signed and graded Mickey Mantle baseball cards; actual Olympic torches from the 1984, 1996 and 2002 Games; and a treasure trove of John Wooden memorabilia will all come up for bid in an Internet-only Sports & Olympics Memorabilia auction slated for Saturday, June 22nd, by Premiere Props.
The auction, beginning at 11 am Pacific time, will be hosted on iCollector.com, HiBid.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. “Bidders will be able to dive into sports history and beyond with this incredible collection of sports memorabilia,” said Dan Levin of Premiere Props. “The catalog includes once-in-a-lifetime items for basketball fans, Los Angeles Lakers fans, baseball fans, football fanatics and horse racing aficionados. It’s a chance to own a piece of sports history.”
The Kobe Bryant signed basketballs include an authenticated, signed Spalding indoor/outdoor NBA all conference basketball, signed by the late superstar “KB” and with an NBA sticker of authenticity, in near mint condition (est. $7,000-$10,000); and an autographed Spalding official NBA basketball signed “Kobe Bryant 8” (he wore jersey number 8 primarily during his rookie year and possibly a year or two after). Included is the original packaging (est. $5,000-$10,000).
A Magic Johnson signed Spalding official NBA game ball, signed “Magic Showtime J”, numbered 200 out of 330 in silver ink, should bring $400-$600. The L.A. Lakers were nick-named the “Showtime Lakers” from 1979-1991. Also, a LeBron James 2004 uncirculated NAXCOM Sports Collector’s Marketplace Upper Deck rookie card, housed in an Ultra Pro UV magnetic card holder, with an authentication sticker, has a pre-auction estimate of $200-$400.
The many items pertaining to UCLA Bruins basketball coach John Wooden (1910-2010) include basketballs signed by the long-tenured coach (and former basketball star in his own right). One is a Nike gold-painted basketball and signed, “Best wishes, John Wooden, UCLA”. It is expected to rise to $150-$350. Another is an autographed Wilson indoor-outdoor NCAA basketball, also signed “Best wishes, John Wooden, UCLA”. The basketball should change hands for $150-$350.
A Moulton official orange synthetic leather basketball signed “Best wishes John Wooden UCLA” and three others, marked the Los Angeles Athletic Club, John R. Wooden Award, in a black display case with a mirrored rear panel, has an estimate of $150-$350. Also, a baseball autographed by John Wooden and sports broadcasting legend Vin Scully (1927-2022), who announced Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodger games for 67 years, should reach $400-$600.
A circa 1960s-1970s, gold-painted UCLA NCAA champs and coach-signed Nike basketball, signed by John Wooden and players that include Kareem Abdul Jabaar and Bill Walton, is expected to finish at $500-$700. Meanwhile, a pair of original upholstered seats from the UCLA Pauly Pavilion, where the UCLA Bruins played their basketball games under Coach Wooden (seats #1 and 2, row 15, from 1965 up to a renovation in 2008) should garner $1,000-$3,000.
The rare Olympic torches are sure to draw keen bidder interest. They include the following:
– The relay torch from 1984 with a body in bronze-tinted aluminum and a leather-covered handle with a metal ring giving the caption, “Games of the XXIII Olympiad Los Angeles 1984”. Rafer Johnson (the 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon) was the final torchbearer (and the first Black athlete ever to light the cauldron). (est. $5,000-$8,000).
– The official original torch from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, 32 ½ inches in length, with a wooden handle showing an engraved list of the Summer Games from 1896 to 1996, in reference to the centenary of the Olympic Games. The last torchbearer was Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), a gold medalist boxer in Rome in 1960 (est. $5,000-$7,000).
– The official, original torch from the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics of 2002, the relay for which was a 65-day run, from Dec. 4, 2001 until Feb. 8, 2002, carried throughout the United States following its lighting in Olympia, Greece. The final torchbearers were all the members of the U.S. men’s gold medalist hockey team of 1984 (est. $5,000-$7,000).
A professional model, black-colored Rawlings Adirondack “Big Stick” baseball bat signed by home run slugger Barry Bonds, numbered 224 out of 500, is expected to make $3,500-$5,500. Also, a group of baseballs signed by members of the 3000 Hit Club (players who collected 3,000 or more hits in their Major League Baseball careers, including Mays, Musial, Carew, Kaline, Brock, Yastrzemski and Rose, but not including Hank Aaron), framed, should hit $2,500-$3,500.
A 1997 Scoreboard #8 Mickey Mantle Shoe Box Collection trading card, graded Gem Mint 10, in a clear protective case, has an estimate of $500-$700. Also, a 1963 Topps New York Yankees team baseball card, with team and player stats, in fair condition, should command $400-$600.
Not every single lot in the sale is sports-related. An etching by Salvador Dali, from the artist’s The Historica de Don Quixote da la Mancha suite of artworks, numbered (HC 19/65), mounted and matted on a brushed brass frame, should achieve $600-$800. The etching was displayed during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles along with other works by the surrealist master.
To learn more about Premiere Props and the upcoming Internet-only Sports & Olympics Memorabilia auction slated for Saturday, June 22nd, please visit www.PremiereProps.com.
