(LOT 7)
1957 Topps #77 Bill Russell Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT
11 X Champ!!! Any list representing the "NBA's greatest basketball players ever" has to include the immortal Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who along with Jordan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Robertson and LeBron James, 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 give Bill Russell this distinguished nod, 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 for the most professional championships accumulated by a North American athlete. Even before this five 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 level of winning success; 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 his highly coveted 1957 Topps rookie card, presented here in a breathtaking PSA 8 NM-MT holder. If you think finding a high-grade Russell rookie is an easy chore then think again since only 4.7% of the 1,000 plus encapsulated examples have achieved the hallowed PSA 8 assessment, with a paltry 5 specimens graded higher! More significantly, it is the perfect corners emanating from this timeless classic that truly places it as one of the premier Bill Russell rookie cards on the planet.

The classic Russell pose donning his immortal white #6 Celtic jersey has stubbornly defied "father-time" by retaining a majority of its original surface attributes including near-impeccable surfaces, fine clarity and an array of robust hues. Strong right-angled corners, clean white borders and a superb verso complete this "blazer" that merits a final resting place in any world-class rookie card or 1957 Topps PSA Registered compilation!
MIN BID $75,000
__