Trade your old transistor radio for a rare Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jersey that’s expected to fetch over $1 million.
This piece of sports history comes from a parking lot trade that took place back in the late 1970s. A group of autograph hunters waited outside the Forum in Inglewood for players to exit after a Lakers game, and that’s where this savvy deal happened.
Maybe the individual who made the trade has gotten past the Milwaukee Bucks’ infamous decision in 1975. They let go of Junior Bridgeman, Dave Myers, Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, and, of course, Abdul-Jabbar in a deal that many still consider one of the worst in sports history.
The jersey in question is the one Abdul-Jabbar, known then as Lou Alcindor, wore during UCLA’s national championship and the subsequent Final Four semifinals in the late 1960s.
It’s on track to sell for over $1 million, with three weeks left in the auction that wraps up August 16.
Gray Flannel Auctions has verified the jersey’s authenticity, linking it through detailed photo-matching to the one worn in the Bruins’ 1968 championship game against North Carolina (where he notably scored 34 points and grabbed 16 rebounds) and in the 1969 semifinal game against Drake, where he achieved 25 points, 21 rebounds, and three assists. By the end of his second season, he had already won the first Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
This well-worn jersey features UCLA’s classic blue and gold colors with “UCLA” and the number “33” proudly displayed on both the front and back.
The auctioneer pointed out that this particular jersey is the only one known to have been matched to multiple games and seasons, making it highly collectible since Abdul-Jabbar did not replace it with a new one.
“Museum-quality college jerseys of this kind are nearly non-existent,” noted Michael Lasek, the director of operations for Gray Flannel Auctions. “By definitively connecting this jersey to the 1968 UCLA National Championship Game, the Championship Net Cut Celebration, and several games the following season, this piece really stands out.”
“This represents a piece of the legacy of one of the greatest dynasties in sports through a solitary surviving artifact. We believe it’s among the most significant college basketball jerseys ever to be auctioned publicly,” he added.
Now 80 years old, Abdul-Jabbar is seen as perhaps the most dominant college basketball player ever, securing three titles with the Bruins while boasting an impressive record of 88 wins and just 2 losses during his career—despite not being eligible for varsity play as a freshman.
He concluded his two-decade professional career as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, totaling 38,387 points—a record poised to be overtaken by LeBron James in 2023. Renowned for his signature skyhook shot, Abdul-Jabbar spent the final 14 years of his NBA tenure with the Lakers, winning five championships.
Even after more than 50 years since his last game at UCLA, he seems on the verge of setting new records in the sports world.
