The Naismith College Player of the Year trophy awarded to Pete Maravich in 1970 is coming to auction.
Sourced from the Maravich family, the trophy was presented to the LSU sensation after he averaged 44.5 points per game—still the highest single-season scoring average in Division I men’s basketball history. It was a season in which Maravich became a national sensation thanks not just to his pre-three-point line scoring but for his slick ball handling and behind the back passes that awed fans.
Maravich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 after a ten-year NBA career.
Bidding on the trophy will open at $25,000 when the auction opens next Monday.
“This award is a rare and highly sought-after piece of basketball history that represents a pivotal moment in Maravich’s career,” stated Grey Flannel’s Michael Russek. “As one of the most talented and influential players of his time, Maravich’s impact on the game cannot be overstated. This award is a testament to his incredible skill and talent, and its historical significance makes it a truly remarkable find. We are excited to share this rare item with collectors and fans worldwide and we look forward to seeing the excitement it generates at auction.”
Grey Flannel will also offer the lithograph given to Maravich’s family in honor of his inclusion on the NBA 50 Greatest Players team in 1999 and a never before seen grouping of over 100 canisters containing rolls of reel-to-reel film from LSU games and practices once studied by Maravich and his father, LSU coach Press Maravich.
Maravich signed checks and other memorabilia have also been consigned to the sale.
As we reported in February, Grey Flannel is also auctioning a jersey worn by Wayne Gretzky when he scored the final point of his career.
The jersey was featured in MSG’s “Defining Moments” Museum on the concourse level from 2013 to ‘19, but this auction marks the first time it’s being offered publicly. The jersey comes with a photo match letter of authenticity from MeiGray.
It was one of four Gretzky wore when he took to the ice for the last time as a player in 1999 but the one that was on his back when he assisted on a Brian Leetch goal in the second period for the 2,857th and final point of his 21-year career.
Bidding opens at $50,000.
Gretzky kept the final jersey, pants and other gear he wore in the third period and overtime of what was a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He then donated them to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto where they are on display.
Additional Gretzky items, including game-used sticks, skates, gloves and his 1983 All-Star Game jersey are also part of the auction.
Other top lots include Woody English’s jersey from the inaugural baseball All-Star Game in 1933, a pair of Converse shoes worn by Michael Jordan in the 1983 Pan Am Games, Spencer Haywood’s 1968 Olympic gold medal for basketball, Lute Olsen’s 1997 Arizona Wildcats national championship ring, Bob Gibson’s 1970 National League Cy Young Award, game-used bats from Stan Musial, Ernie Banks and Johnny Bench, a 1929 Yankees team signed ball, a 1940s Babe Ruth single signed ball and a Ruth signed bat dropped from an airplane as part of a 1926 stunt in San Diego.
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