A set of 47 handwritten speech note cards used by Muhammad Ali during a lecture tour of schools and colleges in the late 1960’s and memorabilia from the inventor of basketball, James Naismith, will be up for bid next week when Profiles in History opens its latest auction.
The Ali note cards date from a period of time when he was barred from boxing. They represent Ali’s strong opinions on his Muslim faith, race relations at the time and more. Ali was among the more outspoken athletes and his words, some critical of the ‘white man’ stirred deep feelings around the world. Ali did not fight from March 1967 through October 1970 due to his refusal to be inducted into the armed forces.
The pre-sale estimate for the note cards is listed at $8,000 – $12,000.
An archive of items once used by Naismith includes his hand-annotated manuscript for a book on basketball, a nine page document from the 1930’s chronicling the evolution of basketball rules and what the auction house says is the pencil Naismith used when formulating the game’s rules in 1891, citing a letter from a family member.
Naismith’s personal 1892 – 1936 scrapbook is included. It contains an 1892 letter discussing the introduction of the sport of basketball to New York. Also part of the archive is a Naismith-endorsed Rawlings basketball, one of the few products Naismith ever endorsed.
The Naismith items carry a $20,000-$30,000 pre-sale estimate.
The sports-related material is part of a much larger catalog of historic documents and memorabilia set to open June 13.
“We are thrilled with the materials presented in this auction as the quality and overall historical importance of materials offered is extraordinary,” said Joseph Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History.
The live auction will take place at the company’s Calabassas, CA headquarters. Qualified bidders can participate in person, by telephone, submit absentee bids or participate online via www.profilesinhistory.com.
“We are thrilled with the materials presented in this auction as the quality and overall historical importance of materials offered is extraordinary,” said Joseph Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History.
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