Hoops HD

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of. First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world. The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person.

We now come to the ACC portion of our show.  Mike Stoner of Stoner Sports & Collectibles (www.stonersports.com) is the king of the mid-Atlantic region: he went to Duke, 1 of his brothers went to North Carolina, and his family/friends are alums of most of the other schools in the conference.  He makes a point to always root for ACC teams…whenever they are not playing the Blue Devils.  Clemson is trying to lead a conference resurgence on the football field, but basketball is still the star of the show due to its rich history.  Here are 3 of my favorite photo collages:

1. This is a pair of signed photos from UNC Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith.  Even though a lot of Dukies hate their neighbors from Tobacco Road, it is impossible to deny the greatness of the namesake of the “Dean Dome”.  The poses are great, the signatures are great, and the price is $395. 

2. Speaking of Coach Smith, this piece is dedicated to his 1st NCAA title team in 1982.  They were so stacked with talent that a ridiculous TWELVE members of the roster were eventually drafted by the NBA.  They beat a pair of #2 teams in the regular season (Kentucky/Virginia) as Michael Jordan was named ACC ROY.  They beat Ralph Sampson by 2 PTS in the ACC title game, then beat Hakeem Olajuwon/Patrick Ewing by a combined 6 PTS in back-to-back Final 4 games as James Worthy was named NCAA tourney MOP.  In addition to a replica championship ring this includes photos of Worthy with the net around his neck, Jordan’s famous title-winning shot, and a photo of the entire team.  The shadow box frame makes this a little pricier than normal, but find me 1 Tar Heel fan who would turn down a chance to own this for $325. 

3. Have no fear Duke fans, I saved up something for you too.  The final item is Coach K’s most recent NCAA title team from 2015.  They might not have had as strong a bench as the 1982 Tar Heels or as much veteran leadership, but their freshman class (Grayson Allen/Tyus Jones/Justise Winslow/Jahlil Okafor) has to be in the discussion among the best in college basketball history.  They also beat a pair of #2 teams in the regular season (Wisconsin/Virginia) as Okafor was named national ROY.  In the NCAA tourney all they had to do was win 3 straight games against Mark Few/Tom Izzo/Bo Ryan to clinch the title as Tyus Jones was named NCAA tourney MOP.  In addition to a replica championship ring this includes photos of Okafor signaling who is #1, the team hoisting the trophy, and Jones on a ladder as he cuts down the net.  The shadow box frame looks delightful, and any Duke fan would have a Devil of a time saying no to this for $325. 

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of. First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world. The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person.

We now come to the Kentucky Wildcats portion of our show.  The good news is that I found a guy with plenty of programs and ticket stubs.  The bad news is that he wished to remain anonymous, so I cannot even give him a shout-out.  Without any further adieu, here are 4 of my favorites:

1. This is a program from the 1970 Mideast Regional in Columbus, OH.  Apparently they did not play defense back in the 70s: Jacksonville won the 1st Sweet 16 matchup 104-103 over Iowa, Kentucky won their own game 109-99 over Notre Dame, and then Jacksonville beat the Wildcats 106-100 in the regional final.  Kentucky was ranked #1 in the nation and was led by future Hall of Famer Dan Issel with 28 PTS/10 REB, but the underdog Dolphins had a future Hall of Famer of their own in Artis Gilmore who had 24 PTS/20 REB.  Jacksonville ended up making the title game before losing to UCLA.  This official program originally cost 25 cents, but today it will cost you $50. 

2. This program goes back even further, dating to Kentucky’s game against Minnesota at Memorial Coliseum on 12/28/53.  Dick Garmaker led the Gophers with 23 PTS but was no match for future Hall of Famers Cliff Hagan/Frank Ramsey who combined to score 43 PTS in the Wildcats’ 74-59 victory.  Kentucky finished a perfect 25-0 in the regular season but did not play in the NCAA tourney.  Several of their best players had graduated the previous year while Kentucky was still on probation from their 1951 point-shaving scandal, and when those players were ruled ineligible for the NCAA tourney Coach Adolph Rupp decided that his team would not participate.  With 3 Hall of Famers (Hagan/Ramsey/Rupp) from 1 of the best teams ever on the cover, this 1 seems like a steal to me at only $150. 

3. The most recent item I saw was from the Cats’ trip to the 1998 Final 4 at the Alamodome, which was their 3rd straight appearance in the title game.  The other 3 teams were 2 who had not been there in decades (Stanford/Utah) and another blue-blood making its 3rd Final 4 in 6 seasons (North Carolina).  These “Comeback Cats” had their hands full, but had an 86-85 OT win over Stanford in the semis and then beat Utah 78-69 to win the 7th national title in school history.  Jeff Sheppard scored 16 PTS against the Utes and was named tourney MOP.  Coach Tubby Smith won 35 games in his 1st year on the sideline in Lexington, and if you want a pair of memories from this championship season you can have this pair of tickets for $100. 

4. When I 1st saw this ticket from the 1975 title game at the San Diego Sports Arena I must confess that I was less than impressed.  When I realized that Kevin Grevey scored 34 PTS in a 92-85 losing effort to UCLA, who got double-doubles from 3 different players (Ralph Drollinger/Dave Meyers/tourney MOP Richard Washington), I could not even understand why a Kentucky fan would want to own this.  When I learned that this was the final game of Bruins’ coach John Wooden’s Hall of Fame career, I wanted it.  Wooden only used 6 players but apparently he knew what he was doing as he won his 10th title in 12 years.  This was the 1st title game that took place during my lifetime, and it was on sale for $295. 

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of. First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world. The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person.

If you are into Final 4 ticket stubs then the man to talk to is Mark Townsend of Tickets from the Past (TicketsFromThePast.com).  It is fascinating to see how these big-time tickets have changed over time: prices have gone up, bar codes have been added, etc.  I have only been fortunate enough to attend 1 Final 4 (Arizona’s loss to Duke in the 2001 title game in Minneapolis) but with the inspiration of seeing all these memorable tickets I hope to make it to Glendale this spring for championship #2.  Here are 3 of my favorites:

1. The oldest 1 I saw was from the 1995 Final 4 at the Kingdome in Seattle which featured a pair of legendary programs (UCLA/North Carolina), the defending national champs (Arkansas), and a team (Oklahoma State) whose coach (Eddie Sutton) was 1 of the 1st to win 800 games in D-1.  UCLA needed a buzzer-beating coast-to-coast layup from Tyus Edney in a 75-74 win over Missouri just to make the Sweet 16, then beat Arkansas 89-78 in the title game to win its 11th NCAA title.  Ed O’Bannon had 30 PTS/17 REB en route to being named tourney MOP, and a couple of decades later he became 1 of the most famous athletes to ever sue the NCAA.  The face value of this ticket to the national semifinals is only $35, but it will cost you $95 for a keepsake from a time when they still played basketball in Seattle. 

2. If you like back-to-back titles then your best option is this ticket to the 2007 title game.  Florida returned its entire starting lineup from the year before when it beat UCLA in the title game, but the Bruins were good enough to make it back to the Final 4 in the Georgia Dome as well.  The 2 other past championship programs who joined them were Ohio State/Georgetown, who had faced each other in the 2nd round of the 2006 NCAA tourney.  The Gators had destroyed the Buckeyes 86-60 in December of 2006, then their football team beat the Buckeyes in the BCS National Championship Game in January of 2007, and a few months later their basketball team gave them another title with a an 84-75 win over Ohio State.  Corey Brewer scored 13 PTS and was named tourney MOP: this fall he prepares to begin his 10th year in the NBA.  Back-to-back titles are quite rare in college basketball, which is why this ticket is listed for $195. 

3. Last up is a stub from the 2014 title game at Jerry World that was the 1st to ever not have a top-3 seed (#7-seed Connecticut has a 60-54 win over #8-seed Kentucky).  The Huskies became the 1st #7-seed to ever win the title, then the very next day UConn’s women’s team won its own NCAA basketball title.  Florida also made the Final 4 after only having 2 regular season losses, but the 2 teams they lost to were the 4th team in the Final 4 (Wisconsin) and national champion UConn.  Shabazz Napier scored 22 PTS in the title game and was named tourney MOP.  The face value of this ticket up in the 400 level is $95, but the price has tumbled and you can own this for just $50.  

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of. First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world. The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person.

A lot of dealers who have college basketball memorabilia specialize in only 1 aspect, be it team jerseys, Final 4 ticket stubs, stuff specific to a school, etc.  However, 1 of the most diverse collections I saw was courtesy of Hank Reizes, a retired police detective in Arizona who has a company called 99% Basketball.  Hank was born in Venezuela and played basketball as a kid until he broke his arm in the 9th grade.  He still loves the sport and remembers attending his very 1st pro basketball game at Madison Square Garden even though it was almost 50 years ago.  He had all kinds of items from many different Hall of Famers, and here are 5 of my favorites:

1. Hall of Famer Julius Erving is still remembered as 1 of the greatest dunkers of all time, but most people have only seen video of his time in the ABA/NBA.  When he played at Rucker Park in Harlem the crowd came up with nicknames for him like “Black Moses” and “Houdini”, but it eventually evolved into “Dr. J”.  In 1968 Erving enrolled at the University of Massachusetts: he only played 2 seasons on the varsity but they were quite memorable, as he averaged 26.3 PPG/20.2 RPG to become 1 of a handful of players to ever average 20 & 20.  He left school early to pursue a pro career, but despite these astronomical numbers he joined the ABA in 1971 as an undrafted(!) free agent with the Virginia Squires.  In 1986 he earned his bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst through the University Without Walls program to fulfill a promise to his mother and he also holds an honorary doctorate from the school.  This freshman photo of the Doctor and his teammates dates to 68, but is on sale for only $65. 

2. This is a freshman team program that is signed by Erving, and even though he is not in the photo himself Hall of Fame signatures do not come cheap, so this 1 is listed for $350.  

3. It would take a thick book to review Coach Dean Smith’s entire resume but among the highlights: 879 wins in 36 years of coaching, 35 consecutive seasons with a winning record, 27 NCAA tourneys, 11 Final Fours, and a pair of NCAA titles.  40 years ago he led team USA to a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and next spring marks the 65th anniversary of his 1952 NCAA title as a player at Kansas.  Smith passed away last year at age 83, but his sartorial splendor and stunning signature lives on at a price of $150.  

4. I thought I had seen almost every kind of collectible there is on the market until I was introduced to the concept of “leader discs”, which used to serve as lids to candy dishes.  This rare 1 dates to 1934 and has a basketball player preparing to shoot the ball on top of an NYU pennant.  Hank said he has only seen 2 of these in the past 35 years, which is why this 1 is valued at a whopping $600.  

5. Last but certainly not least is an autographed Sports Illustrated cover from November of 1978 featuring Michigan State then-sophomore Earvin Johnson.  Magic made quite an impact as a freshman: 17 PPG/7.9 RPG/7.4 APG, a Big 10 title, and a trip to the 1978 Elite 8 before a 52-49 loss to eventual champion Kentucky.  SI was pretty prescient in its preview prognostication, as Magic finished the year with a 75-64 win over Indiana State in the title game en route to being named tourney MOP.  It is a beautiful photo and a bold autograph, and it will cost you $750 to make it your own.  

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of. First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world. The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person.

The runaway winner for most college basketball-related items at a single booth was Jon English of Vintage Sports Antiques (vintagesportsantiques.com), a guy from Tennessee who spent much of his life in the commercial industrial construction business.  He had a wide array of merchandise but the one that caught my eye was his collection of primarily black and white wire photos.  They capture a specific moment in time and like a delicious potato chip most collectors cannot be satisfied with only 1.  Jon has grown his own collection via decades worth of trips to flea markets/antique malls while his friends were out partying.  He has always loved history and collecting these very unique items has allowed him to hunt for treasure on land: here are my 10 favorites:

1. Bill Bradley finished his Princeton tenure as national POY in 1965 with 2503 career PTS, which remains the most in Ivy League history.  After graduating he was drafted by the Knicks but decided to take his talents to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.  In 1967 he signed his rookie contract aside Madison Square Garden Corporation president Irving Mitchell Felt and Knicks president Ned Irish, and in 1983 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Most of Jon’s photos are on sale for $25 or less, but due to the Oxford surcharge it will cost you $45.
2. On Valentine’s Day in 1944, Notre Dame took a trip to the East Coast to play NYU at Madison Square Garden.  The Irish emerged with a 59-53 win and the CYO individual award was presented to All-American Leo Klier.  He spent the following season serving in the Navy during WWII, then returned to campus and was named All-American again in 1946.  Also seen in this photo is Klier’s coach Ed “Moose” Krause, himself a 3-time All-American who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.  You don’t have to kiss me, but if you’re Irish then you can pick up this pot of photographic gold for $25. 
3. 1960 was a big year for Terry Dischinger: the 3-time All-American at Purdue began the year with this shot over Wisconsin, then spent the summer winning an Olympic gold medal in Rome as the youngest member of team USA.  His NBA career started off hot with 3 All-Star games in his 1st 3 seasons, but after spending the next 2 years in the Army he retired in 1973 to become an orthodontist.  Smile for me, especially if you have $15 to purchase this 1. 
4. This 1 is both the most tragic and the most special to me.  In the 1970 NCAA tourney Bob Lanier had 26 PTS/14 REB in a win over Villanova but injured his knee with 9 minutes left and was unable to play in St. Bonaventure’s 8-PT loss to Jacksonville.  I interviewed Bob about this injury a few years ago and asked him if he felt that his team would have won if he was healthy. He said that they had a legitimate shot of winning the title and thinks that they would have beaten Jacksonville but for the injury.  I have read much about it but never seen a photo of it before…until now, but even for $15 it is still painful to look at. 
5. You do not see too many games these days featuring a pair of NCAA tourney MOPs facing each other because they are either 1-and-done freshmen (Anthony Davis) or seniors who wins the award in their final game (Ryan Arcidiacono).  Back in the day it was a much more common occurrence, and here is the proof with Utah and Oklahoma A&M preparing for a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in the mid-1940s (the photo is dated 12/11/44 but I cannot find proof of the teams playing around that time).  The Utes were led by 1944 tourney MOP Arnie Ferrin (who won back-to-back NBA titles in 1949/1950) while the Cowboys’ big star was 7-footer Bob Kurland (the 1945/1946 tourney MOP who won a pair of Olympic gold medals in 1948/1952).  If you like winners, and have $50, then this can be yours. 
6. The SEC may be the king of football but they have some pretty sweet basketball history as well.  On 1/12, 1970, 2nd-ranked Kentucky went into Stegeman Coliseum and emerged with a 72-71 win for Coach Adolph Rupp.  Georgia’s Bob Lienhard had 17 PTS and pounded the boards for a ridiculous 24 rebounds in defeat.  Leading the way for the Wildcats was All-American Dan Issel who scored 32 PTS on 13-21 FG.  This photo of the 2 big men battling shows how intense things got when fighting for the ball down in the post, and to capture the essence of all 40 minutes you will have to shell out $40. 
7. Before he became 1 of the top-25 AST men in NBA history, before he created a program to help other athletes with their own drug rehabilitation, John Lucas was 1 of the best tennis players in ACC history.  No, seriously: an All-American tennis player at Maryland, he won the ACC #1 singles championship twice in 3 years, played World Team Tennis with San Francisco/New Orleans, and in 2005 he even coached Steffi Graf with the Houston Wranglers!  He was also a 3-time All-American basketball player for the Terps and ended up being selected #1 overall by Houston in the 1976 NBA Draft.  This photo shows the aerial prowess of #15: the fact that the price is also $15 just shows how nice it is when things work out. 
8. Kevin Stallings is preparing for his 1st year on the sideline at Pitt, and if it goes as well as his last year as a player then it could be a sensational season in Steel City.  On 3/24/80, Stalling and Joe Barry Carroll helped lead the Boilermakers to a 75-58 win over Iowa in the national 3rd place game while Louisville beat UCLA to win the NCAA title.  Carroll went on to be selected 1st overall by Golden State in the 1980 NBA Draft while Stallings has won 450+ games as a coach at Illinois State/Vanderbilt, so they both turned out okay.  Season tickets in the Oakland Zoo are not cheap, but for $25 this 2-shot is priced just right. 
9. On 1/18/67, Wes Unseld and Lousiville took a road trip to Dayton and pulled out a 66-5o win over the Flyers.  The best visual representation of a “Flyer” was 2-time All-American Don May, who is seen here leaping right over the future Hall of Famer for an easy layup.  They each won an NBA title in 1970s, so if you like champions then we would like your $25. 
10. Last but certainly not least is 2-time All-American Bernard King posing for an action shot at Tennessee.  The Volunteer family recently lost their best coach ever when Pat Summitt passed away in June, but the co-star of the “Bernie & Ernie” show is still going strong at age 59.  He led the NCAA with 62.2 FG% as a sophomore, grabbed 14.3 RPG as a senior, and was named SEC POY for 3 straight years.  Despite having numerous injuries during his NBA career, he remains 1 of the top-50 scorers ever and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.  It is hard to find a Hall of Famer who will give you his autograph for $25, but for that same price you can own this gorgeous photo of 1 of the best college scorers we have ever seen. 

The National Sports Collectors Convention (nsccshow.com) is an annual summer gathering of collectors/dealers who have a passion for trading cards, autographs, and any kind of memorabilia that you can think of.  First formed in 1980, it is now the premier collectibles industry event that attracts a majority of the licensing agencies from around the professional sports world.  The 37th “National” was held during the 1st week of August at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and next summer it will head back to the Midwest in Chicago.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel attended this year’s event and will present photo essay installments of all the college basketball merchandise he saw in person. 

The very 1st item that caught my eye was a Kevin Durant jersey from his lone year in college at the University of Texas.  Prior to being named NBA ROY in 2008, MVP in 2014, and winning 4 scoring titles, he became the 1st freshman ever named Naismith national POY.  He originally wore jersey #35 in honor of Charles Craig, his AAU coach who was murdered at age 35.  He entered college after being named MVP of the 2006 McDonald’s All-American Game, then averaged 25.8 PPG/11.1 RPG for the Longhorns before declaring for the 2007 NBA draft.  His jersey was later retired by the Longhorns, and it looked a lot like this:

The top of the “3” has been autographed by Durant, who is spending this month trying to win his 2nd straight Olympic gold medal.  This item was being offered by Tony’s Sports Photos (tonyssportsphotos.com) and I spoke with owner Tony Catania about this red-hot jersey.  He said that he purchased it from a dealer in Raleigh, and that since Durant signed with Golden State earlier this offseason the price of this item has jumped $100-200.  While there might not be many Oklahoma City fans still interested in this, Golden State fans must be loving it because even if he leaves them in the future his choice of college will never change.  Tony said that he has seen this on eBay for $375-500 but he was selling it for $300.  Durant’s career 27.4 PPG ranks #3 in NBA history behind only Michael Jordan/Wilt Chamberlain, and if he can remain in such prestigious company then the value of his jersey should only increase over time.