Teen gets hefty payout for rare find from NBA legend
FILE-Wilt Chamberlain #13 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks the court during a game played against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972 at the Mecca in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBA via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, Ore. - A short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals that was purchased by a teen for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at an auction.
Chamberlain’s jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s on July 20, and the item received 48 bids, The Associated Press reported, citing the auction house.
The Hall of Fame basketball player wore the jacket during the 1972 NBA finals, in which Chamberlain was named MVP when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New York Knicks.
Teen finds Wilt Chamberlain’s jacket
Dig deeper:
Quinn Brown was looking through a huge bin of clothes at a Goodwill store near Portland in January when he saw someone throw a Lakers' jacket with Wilt Chamberlain's name on it back on the pile. Brown, who has been reselling used clothes online for several years, grabbed the jacket.
According to The Associated Press, Brown searched online to determine if Chamberlain’s jacket had any monetary value. He discovered a photo on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one in his possession.
RELATED: Wilt Chamberlain's Lakers warm-up jacket found at Goodwill could sell for $250,000
Brown posted a photo of Chamberlain's warmup jacket on social media. Sotheby’s reached out to him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. He agreed, and a van came to collect the jacket.
Sotheby’s did a photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which cites Southeby’s regarding Wilt Chamberlain’s warmup jacket. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.