Future Hall of Fame and NBA Top 50 players Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “The Glide” Drexler starred at the University of Houston from 1982 to 1984, before they advanced to the pros. The pair were part of the Houston Cougars men’s basketball squads coached by Guy V. Lewis that became known as “Phi Slama Jama.” "Texas' Tallest Fraternity" was especially known for its slam dunking and explosive, fast-breaking style of play.

The Cougars' captivating 1983 postseason run again helped college basketball in its drive to join the first rank of major sports. The #1 vs. #2 clash of titans between Phi Slama Jama and Louisville's "Doctors of Dunk" in the Final Four served as an enthralling preamble to the dramatic title game. Phi Slama Jama's title game loss to North Carolina State is widely considered their most immediate contribution towards putting NCAA basketball on a par with college football in terms of television viewership and revenue. The Cougars' last-second loss in the final was an iconic moment in the history of "March Madness" that helped to establish the NCAA Basketball Tournament as a major television event. The CBS broadcast of the 1983 Final between Houston and NC State drew 18.6 million households and the Houston-Louisville national semifinal attracted 14.8 million, both ratings records at the time for national final and semifinal games.

Presented is a lot are two white University of Houston basketball jerseys, signed and inscribed by Olajuwon and Drexler. The first item in this lot is Drexler’s #22 Houston jersey. Drexler has signed and inscribed “Clyde The Glide Drexler” in black marker beneath his silk-screened red number with blue borders. The name “Drexler” is silk-screened in red block letters over the number. The inscription “673/1250” in black marker is in the lower right side on the back of the jersey. The white jersey has red, white and blue stripes on the sides, sleeve cuffs and neck. The front of the jersey is silk-screened with red letters outlined in blue “Houston” above the number “22” also silk-screened in red with blue outline. This item comes with a COA from Beckett Authentication (Q53437).

The second item in this lot is Olajuwon’s #34 Houston jersey. He has signed and inscribed “Akeem The Dream Olajuwon” in black marker beneath the number “34” silk-screened in red with blue outline.  Above the number, silk-screened in red block letters, is “Akeem.” The lower right side on the back of the jersey has the inscription “673/1250” in black marker. The white jersey has red, white and blue stripes on the sides, sleeve cuffs and neck. The front of the jersey is silk-screened with red letters outlined in blue “Houston” above the number “34” also silk-screened in red with blue outline. This item comes with a COA from Beckett Authentication (Q53438).

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