Ball from ’92 US Dream Team Sets Auction Record

A basketball signed by members of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team  from the Chuck Daly Estate Collection sold for $230,041 to tally the highest bid in SCP Auctions’ Mid-Summer Classic, which concluded early Sunday morning. The multi-signed, painted basketball (autographed by 11 players including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird plus Coach Daly) was used in the U.S. Men’s 117-85, gold medal-clinching victory over Croatia in Barcelona.  According to SCP officials, it’s the most ever paid for a single basketball sold at auction

The entire auction of nearly 1,000 sports memorabilia lots brought in $2.5 million.

“The outstanding results of this auction prove once again that the market for historic memorabilia with exceptional provenance has never been stronger,” said SCP Auctions Vice President Dan Imler.

Other top lots included a rare 1968 Ernie Banks game-worn Cubs home jersey from a season in which “Mr. Cub” hit 32 home runs that sold for $137,865; a 1960’S Dwight D. Eisenhower-used custom golf bag and full set of specially engraved “General Ike” Spalding clubs that went for $121,122; and a 1970 Nolan Ryan New York Mets game-worn home flannel jersey captured $60,667.

Overall, the Chuck Daly Estate Collection brought in $333,547, led by the sale of the Dream Team-signed, game-used Barcelona Summer Games basketball. Part 4 of the Newport Sports Museum Collection realized $274,701, led by the sale of presidential golf sets used by Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, while the Johnny Murphy Estate Collection took in a total of 72,620, led by the sale of his 1938 New York Yankees World Champs pocket watch which went for $33,378.

Other highlights from the auction included:

• 1996 NBA 50 Greatest Players Signed Lithograph – NBA Edition (6 OF 100) – $34,190
• 1968 Boston Celtics 10K Gold NBA Championship Ring (Tom Thacker)- $29,336
• Carl Erskine’s 1956 N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers 10K Gold Cuff Links and Tie Pin – $28,651
• 1976 Montreal Summer Olympic Games 1^stPlace Winner’s Gold Medal – $24,243
• Babe Ruth Autographed Hillerich & Bradsby Model 40 B.R. Signature Model Bat – $20,724

All prices include a buyer’s premium. Full auction results are available at www.scpauctions.com.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]