(LOT 318)
1958 Wilt Chamberlain Signs w/the Harlem Globetrotters (w/Abe Saperstein) - PSA Type 1 Encapsulated UPI Photo - Measures Approx. 7" x 9-1/2" (Incl. PSA Type I LOA)
This awe-inspiring 1958 PSA Type 1"Pre-Rookie" photo reveals the 7'1" Wilt Chamberlain with Harlem Globetrotters founder and owner Abe Saperstein after signing with the legendary team in 1958. Indeed, a year before Chamberlain started his unparalleled NBA domination, he was displaying his miraculous skills with the Harlem Globetrotters after completing his final collegiate campaign with the Kansas Jayhawks squad (1957/'58) where he averaged over 30 points and 17 rebounds per game. Chamberlain chose 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 included 30,000+ lifetime points to the tune of a 30.07 "points per game" average; a mark that only stands a shade behind Michael Jordan's 30.12 all-time record.

Amazingly, Chamberlain averaged over 20 rebound and 30 points over his entire 15-year career, and is the only player to score 100 points in a game, a feat he accomplished in a game against the N.Y. Knicks on March 2, 1962. This ultra-rare 7" x 9-1/2" offering depicts "Wilt the Stilt" palming two basketballs in his colossal-sized hands with Abe Saperstein looking on as the immortal Chamberlain has just signed his iconic Globetrotter contract. Near-perfect contrast and crystal-clear clarity dominate the illustration, with the flipside including the significant UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL credit stamp as well as a penned notation reading: "Wilt Chamberlain after he signed to play for the Globe-Trotters. – 1958". A remarkable memento from Chamberlain's pre-NBA days, it rekindles memories of how this "giant of a man" dominated the paint" as good if not better than any player who ever graced an NBA hardwood floor!

MIN BID $300
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