Rare Wilt Chamberlain rookie uniform could fetch millions at auction — and might still be a bargain

Wilt Chamberlain isn’t just a legendary name in Philadelphia sports history — he’s a legendary name throughout all of sports history.

So it’s no surprise that a uniform bearing Chamberlain’s No. 13, from the season he shot to NBA stardom, is among the most sought after collectors’ items in sports. Chamberlain’s 1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors uniform, which he wore during his historic rookie season, is headlining Heritage Auctions’ “Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction.” Bidding was at $862,500 as of late Friday afternoon — and is expected to go much higher.

During the 1959-60 season, the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain set the NBA’s single-season scoring and rebounding records, which were surpassed by Chamberlain later in his career. In his debut NBA campaign, he recorded 2,104 total points and 2,149 total rebounds — or 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game — and became the first of just two players to win league MVP and rookie of the year in the same season.

According to Chris Ivy, the Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, bidding for his uniform is estimated to exceed $3 million. The auction will close Feb. 28.

The Warriors uniform was photo-matched to six games from Chamberlain’s rookie season. The item’s age and its notability as Chamberlain’s first uniform make it of significant interest to collectors. It’s also exceedingly rare to have full uniforms from that era.

“At the time, these uniforms didn’t have any intrinsic value,” Ivy said. “Most of them were just worn until they were tossed or donated to another team. So this uniform was able to survive the decades. It was in Wilt Chamberlain’s personal collection, and he eventually sold it to a collector several decades ago. Now, we’re happy to have the opportunity to present it to the collecting community.”

» READ MORE: In 1954, a tiny town handed Wilt Chamberlain one of his three high school losses. This signed syllabus shows he never forgot it.

Ivy compared the sale of Chamberlain’s jersey to that of current Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, which Sotheby’s privately sold this month for $1 million. While Flagg’s career is just getting started, Chamberlain’s enduring presence in NBA record books increases the value of his uniform to collectors.

“Cooper Flagg has the potential to be an NBA great, but Wilt’s career is over,” Ivy said. “We know that he had the best rookie season of all time. We know that he was one of the greatest players that ever stepped foot on court. And so, if you extrapolate from that Cooper Flagg price, this uniform should be worth $10 million. I don’t think it’s going to hit that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did eventually.”

Chamberlain’s uniform isn’t the only item with Philly ties at Heritage’s Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction. The event also features a LeRoy Neiman painting of Joe Frazier taking on Muhammad Ali in the “Thrilla in Manilla” and a rare 1909 baseball card featuring Hall of Fame Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Eddie Plank.