(LOT 193)
1957 Bill Russell "Rookie" PSA Type 1 Encapsulated Photo – Measures Approx. 8" x 10"
Any list of "greatest basketball Players ever" has to include the immortal Hall of Famer Bill Russell who along with Jordan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson stands tall as one of the finest players in NBA history. While choosing one of those all-timers as the "best of the rest" is a seemingly impossible task, there are many historians who select Bill Russell based on his unparalleled winning legacy. The iconic center won an unfathomable 11 NBA Championships in his 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, tying the Montreal Canadians Henri Richard with the most professional championships accumulated by a North American athlete. Even before the 5 League MVPs and 12 All-Star games placed his indelible mark on NBA history, he was winning NCAA college championships, capturing titles in 1955/'56 as well as winning a gold medal with the 1956 USA Basketball team.

Bottom line is no American athlete, save Henri Richard, has ever enjoyed Bill Russell's unfathomable number of championship seasons; not Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, Gretzky, or even Michael Jordan, with Russell's legacy forever enshrined in Canton, Ohio. It is for all of these reasons that serious hobby enthusiasts seek any memorabilia relating to his 1957 Rookie campaign, with this breathtaking PSA Type 1 1957 photo portraying the 6' 10" legend in his inaugural NBA season. Russell would average an imposing 19.6 rebounds and 14.7 points per game his first NBA campaign with the Boston Celtics, clearly showing what was to come from this dominating center who seemingly "stake a claim" on winning championships every time he stepped onto a hardwood floor. He is posing with six Celtic teammates as well as his legendary coach Red Auerbach who ironically would team up with the great Russell to both win their first NBA Championship during Russell's 1957 rookie campaign.

Measuring approximately 8" x 10", the image is breathtaking to say the least, exhibiting the finest possible contrast and resolution you can possibly encounter on any illustration, let alone one that celebrated its 63rd birthday this year. The verso includes a MAR 5, 1957 stamp, the final compliment to a seldom surfacing 1957 Bill Russell Type 1 photo. While over 1,000 of Russell's 1957 Topps #77 rookie cards are included on the combined PSA & SGC "pop" charts and are consistently available for the taking, finding a Russell "rookie" photo truly resides as an excruciating chore, irrefutably placing this esteemed offering as a bona-fide addition to any world-class rookie compilation!

MIN BID $400
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