Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
A 2011 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Artis Gilmore starred for five seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA before the league disbanded in 1976. So dominant, Gilmore was the first pick of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls in the 1976 dispersal draft. Gilmore, the 1971-72 ABA MVP and league champion with Kentucky in 1975, sported this blue game-used Colonels road jersey during the 1971-72 season with the team. The front of the rare jersey reads “Kentucky” with Gilmore’s number “53” stitched on both sides in white tackle twill. A “Rawlings” manufacturer’s tag is found on the inside rear left tail of the jersey with size “40” shown. The jersey shows moderate signs of game use and evidence of team repairs is present. In addition to a MEARS LOA, the Gilmore game-used jersey is backed by a signed LOA from Lloyd “Pink” Gardner, Kentucky’s trainer, equipment manager and team secretary. In his LOA, Gardner details how he was in charge of ordering all uniforms and team equipment for the Colonels and that he obtained the jersey during a six-month tenure of working for Kentucky after the ABA folded. This jersey has been graded a perfect A-10 by Mears.