This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/1/2013
For there March 3rd, 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated, the reporter wrote,
“There has never been a basketball player quite like the Celtics' Larry Joe Bird, in whom talent and tenacity rage a daily wire-to-wire battle for supremacy. Owing to the extraordinary importance of the giant pivotman in the game, it is probably impossible to declare that, in his seventh season, the 6'9", 220-pound Bird, a forward, is greater than Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—that is, the greatest player of all time. Or maybe it isn't.”
Celtics fans will certainly concur, and SI made Bird the cover boy yet again. Basketball historians have ranked the 1985-86 Celtics team as the best Bird-led team ever. Finishing the season 67-15, (40-1 at home), Bird led the Celtics past Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls 3-0 in the first round. After beating the Bucks in the conference finals, the Celtics met the Rockets for the NBA Championship.
Offered are a pair of black Converse All Star basketball shoes which were donned by Hall of Fame Boston Celtics sharpshooter Larry Bird circa his 1986 campaign with the club and specifically the NBA Finals.A white tag reading "Converse All Star Made in U.S.A" sewn to tongue of each shoe, though no interior tagging or identifiers are present and is consistent with Bird shoes from the era.
Larry Legend has also signed each shoe in black marker, though there is some fading present to the signatures. The signature was most likely signed immediately after game 6, as they were soon donated for a charity auction. Heavy wear evident.
The game use can best be described as heavy. It appears the shoes were wore for multiple games of the NBA Final Series. We have a photo match of Bird wearing the shoes in game 3 in Houston, (Celtics 106 – Rockets 104). You can see the tear of the fabric on the left shoe and the visible scuff immediately underneath.
Per our consignor, the shoes were donated by Larry Bird to the Lake Geneva, WI YMCA. Our consignor was told that Bird had a friend that lived in the Lake Geneva area and donated the shoes to the fund raiser. Our consignor obtained the shoes from that auction and they have been in his collection since. A letter of authenticity stating the source will be included with the lot.
Based on the provenance, game wear, vintage dual signatures, and photo match to the June 9, 1986 cover of Sports Illustrated, and the fact these are from the Boston Celtics Championship season the Larry Bird’s MVP season, these are the finest examples to ever hit the market from the legends finest season and documented to have worn during the NBA Finals.
LOA Troy R. Kinunen / MEARS, Letter of provenance from consignor, JSA LOA- Autograph
(G0193)
(MEARS Auction LOA; JSA Auction Letter)