(LOT 194)
Extremely Rare 1957 Wilt Chamberlain Kansas University "Pre-Rookie" PSA Type I Encapsulated Photo – Measures Approx. 7" x 9"
Miraculous to say the least, this awe-inspiring 1957 PSA Type 1 "Pre-Rookie" photo reveals the 7'1" Wilt Chamberlain donning his #25 University of Kansas uniform as he typically towers above his overmatched competition. Long before Chamberlain was dominating his NBA opposition, he was posting up in the paint for the proud Kansas University, making his freshman debut on December 3, 1955. In typical "Wilt the Stilt" style, Chamberlain provided the basketball community with signs of things to come when he scored 52 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, with both figures shattering school records. His next two collegiate seasons (1956/'57; 1957/'58) he would join the varsity team and average an astounding 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game, electing to by-pass his senior season to play for the legendary Harlem Globetrotters for the 1958/'59 season to the tune of an astounding $50,000.

Ultimately, Chamberlain would join the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors for the 1959/'60 season and embark on one of the foremost careers in NBA history that includes the only 100-point game performance when he "man-handled" the N.Y. Knicks on March 2, 1962. His NBA legacy is forever etched in stone, justifying why collectors actively seek his most prized artifacts originating from the earliest stages of his unparalleled career. What could possibly be more enticing than owning a photo portraying the dominating center from his final 1957 collegiate career, with this 7" x 9" Type 1 offering exhibiting the extremely tall Wilt towering above his mesmerized opponents. Emulating outstanding contrast and registration, this 63-year old offering's only notable blemishes are two modest vertical creases extending from the top edge to the basketball's hardwood floor paint area.

Fortunately, they do not even come close to the critical Chamberlain central image as the future Hall of Fame center holds the basketball high above the heads of his smaller Kansas alumni. The verso includes three 1957 stamps (MAR 28th; DEC 10th, DEC 20th), rounding out this sensational Wilt Chamberlain masterpiece that serves as a steadfast reminder of his pre-NBA origin!

MIN BID $500
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