(LOT 101)
1970 Topps #123 Pete Maravich Rookie PSA 9 MINT - Only 2 PSA Examples Graded Higher!
PISTOL PETE MINT ROOKIE!!! The highly coveted 1970 Topps #123 Pete Maravich Rookie is presented here in an absolutely breathtaking PSA 9 MINT holder! Heart stopping to say the least, PSA has currently encapsulated nearly 4,100 Pistol Pete Rookies with only two specimens graded higher, and a mere 2% were fortunate enough to achieve a 9 assessment! Hall of Famer Pete Maravich truly resides as one of the greatest all-time players to ever grace an NBA hardwood floor, justifying his selection as one of the NBA's top 50 all-time greats. Who could ever forget the flashy brilliance of "Pistol Pete" Maravich, who dazzled the professional basketball world for a decade, averaging a sensational 24.2 points per game after posting an unfathomable 44.2 points per game average in his remarkable NCAA Division 1 tenure. A #3 first-round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970 amateur draft, his unparalleled and creative offensive skill sets led to legendary Hall of Famer John Havlicek's classic quote: "Pete Maravich is the best ball-handler of all time." Tragically, his dynamic life was suddenly cut short when he passed away at the tender age of 40 during a 1988 basketball pick-up game due to an unknown heart defect.

As an enduring testament to his unequivocal legacy, this museum-worthy masterpiece is now offered in its virtually original factory-issued condition. An irrefutable blazer, its original attributes have miraculously retained their pristine quality, somehow defying the past 54 years. The gleaming obverse side boasts a brilliant Maravich image and flawless green background, as Pete secures a basketball donning his classic Hawks uniform. Fine centering between four blinding white borders only reveals a slight partiality towards the upper right edges, with additional features including sharp corner tips, impeccable surfaces and a super clean verso reflecting a brief Maravich bio and his LSU collegiate stats. The quintessential statement "a picture is worth a thousand words" truly applies to the accurate assessment, with the spellbinding aesthetics so captivating they could prompt the most sophisticated collector's heart to skip a beat!

MIN BID $5,000
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