332 ELGIN B<strong>AY</strong>LOR NBA AT 50 50 GREATEST PL<strong>AY</strong>ERS SIGNED BOOK A book titled NBA at 50 (New York: Random House, 1996), owned by Elgin Baylor and signed by the NBA’s “50 Greatest Players.” 1996 was the 50th Anniversary of the NBA. To mark the occasion, the NBA named the “50 Greatest Players of the First 50 Years.” Baylor was among those honored as one of the 50 Greatest. Baylor acquired the signatures on the book at the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, where the NBA honored the players named the 50 Greatest throughout the weekend. The book is signed on the front dust jacket by 34 of the 50 Greatest Players and is additionally signed by 49 of the 50 Greatest Players on their respective pages in the section of the book that features the 50 Greatest Players between pages 77 and 138. The lone exception is Pete Maravich, one of the 50 Greatest Players, who passed away in 1988. Maravich’s page in the book is signed by his wife, Jackie, and his two sons, Jaeson and Josh. The front dust jacket of the book is signed by Baylor, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Magic Johnson, John Havlicek, David Robinson, Isiah Thomas, Robert Parrish, Earl Monroe, Rick Barry, Oscar Robertson (signed “Big O”), Lenny Wilkens, Sam Jones, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Paul Arizin, Billy Cunningham, Nate Archibald, Moses Malone, Kevin McHale, Bob Cousy, Nate Thurmond, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed, Bill Sharman, Walt Frazier, Wes Unseld, Dolph Schayes, Bob Petit, Elvin Hayes and Shaquille O’Neal. The book is signed again on the interior pages by the previously listed players and additionally signed on the interior by Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Dave Cowens, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, George Gervin, Hal Greer, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Bill Walton, James Worthy, and Jerry West, who has inscribed “To Elgin/ your just the best/ I’ve always admired you/ thank you for your guidance in my life/ Sincerely/ Jerry West/ HOF 80.” The book is also signed on the first page by NBA Commissioner David Stern. The book is accompanied by a color image of Michael Jordan signing his page in the book for Baylor. 12 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches $4,000-6,000 144 | PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ELGIN B<strong>AY</strong>LOR
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