(LOT 192)
1948 George Mikan "Rookie" PSA Type 1 Encapsulated Wide World Photo – Measures Approx. 7" x 9"
While the unquestionable "Holy Grail" of all basketball cards is the hallowed 1948 Bowman George Mikan rookie card, finding a PSA Type 1 rookie PHOTO of this basketball icon is a near-impossible task. Consider that PSA & SGC combined have encapsulated over 400 Mikan rookie cards, with only a handful of original Type 1 photos in circulation that represent this immortal Hall of Famer from his 1948 rookie campaign. One of those extremely rare 1948 illustrations just happens to be presented here; an extraordinary example that has been dated 4/9/48 on the verso as ironclad evidence for its 1948 origin. Similar to Babe Ruth's stature as a baseball icon, professional Basketball's true Hall of Fame pioneer is none other than the immortal George Mikan for no other player contributed a more significant role to basketball's ultimate development than this magnificent center.

Mikan scored 11,764 career points, an average of 22.6 per game, retired as the all-time leading scorer, averaged 13.4 rebounds and compiled 2.8 assists in 520 NBL, BAA and NBA games. Adding to his impeccable resume was seven BAA and NBA championships, an All-Star MVP trophy, three scoring titles and being member of the first four NBA All-Star and the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. For all these reasons, he was voted the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press, and in 1966, was selected as one of the NBA 50 Greatest Players. No wonder collectors seek his highly coveted rookie artifacts, with only a handful of Type 1 photos to choose from. Measuring approximately 7" x 9", the image depicts the Minneapolis star showcasing his #99 jersey as he attempts his classic left-handed "flip shot" over Packers defender Howard Schultz (#7), with the basketball having just rolled off of Mikan's fingertips.

Crystal clear clarity and near-perfect contrast highlight this miraculous photo that exhibits superb centering and no glaring surface flaws, whatsoever. The verso includes the Wide World Photos credit stamp that has been partially covered by a very significant caption summarizing the image's event: "ONE HANDED SHOT – Center George Mikan (99) of the Minneapolis Lakers flips a one-handed shot towards the hoop in the first quarter of a semi-final game with the Anderson, Ind., Packers in the 10th annual Professional Basketball Tournament at Chicago April 9….Other Players: Price Brookfield (3), Howard Schultz (7), and John Hargis (6) all of the Anderson Packers. The Minneapolis Lakers won 59-56." No world-class basketball rookie collection could possibly be considered complete without an original Type 1 George Mikan 1948 photo, and this "spine-tingling" offering unquestionably resides as the perfect candidate to fill that glaring void in your esteemed gathering!

MIN BID $500
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