Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

1972 NBA Finals Wilt Chamberlain Jersey Sells For $4.9 Million

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Ron Gutterman | Last updated 9/28/23

Los Angeles Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain is widely viewed as one of the best players in the history of the NBA. Chamberlain played in the NBA for 13 seasons, winning four MVP awards, seven scoring titles, 11 rebounding titles and was named to 10 All-NBA teams. He has perhaps some of the most mind-blowing statistics in league history.

He averaged 50.4 points per game, along with 25.7 rebounds, during the 1961-62 campaign with the Philadelphia Warriors. He played with the Lakers for the final five seasons of his illustrious career, playing a pivotal role in the team’s 1971-72 NBA championship. It was one of two titles Chamberlain won in his 13 seasons.

Now, the jersey worn by Chamberlain when the Lakers clinched their NBA title on May 7, 1972 against the New York Knicks — Game 5 of the series — has been sold in an auction for a staggering price, according to Darren Rovell of Action Network:

Wilt Chamberlain's 1972 NBA Finals Game 5 ‘Championship Clinching’ Game Worn Los Angeles Lakers Jersey sells for $4.9 million at @sothebys.

The jersey received one bid at the reserve price. pic.twitter.com/9xahoBiOlx

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 28, 2023

Chamberlain played 47 of a possible 48 minutes that night, scoring 24 points on 10-for-14 from the field. He had 29 rebounds, a game high and his second-highest total of the postseason in 1972. He nearly matched the 39 rebounds grabbed by the entire Knicks roster that night in a 114-100 victory for the purple and gold.

The 1971-72 Lakers remain one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. They finished 69-13 in the regular season, which to this day is the third-best regular season record behind the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.

That Lakers team also won an NBA-record 33 consecutive games between Nov. 5, 1971 and Jan. 7, 1972. They went 12-3 during the postseason, losing two games in the Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks and Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Knicks before rattling off four consecutive wins.

Chamberlain was the defensive anchor of it all, but that team had plenty of well-known players in Lakers history, including Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich and even Pat Riley off the bench.

Magic Johnson chooses Knicks as other team he’d like to own

There’s no doubt that if Lakers legend Magic Johnson could have his pick of franchises to have an ownership stake in, he would pick the Lakers. But if he had a backup option, that would be the Knicks. He said it’s the only other team in the league he would actually consider owning outside of the Lakers.

This article first appeared on Lakers Nation and was syndicated with permission.

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