Lot 286. 2 Tom Heinsohn Signed Letters on What His Hall of Fame Induction Means to Him. An All-American at Holy Cross, Heinsohn led the Boston Celtics to NBA championships as a player and coach. The 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, he played on eight champion teams and was a six-time All-Star. He was the 1973 NBA Coach of the Year, and his 1974 and 1976 teams won NBA champions. Two one-page letters, each handwritten, discuss Heinsohn’s reaction to being selected for the Hall of Fame. One letter is on lined paper. Both signatures are gem mint 10s authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $70.
Lot 287. Red Holzman Signed One-Page Letter on What His Hall of Fame Induction Means to Him. One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history, Holzman won championships in 1970 and 1973 with the New York Knicks. Before coaching, he was an All-Star with the Rochester Royals. He passed away in 1998. His large, bold gem mint 10 signature is on a brief handwritten letter. Kevin Keating authenticated the autograph.
Winning Bid $97.
Lot 288. Ed (Moose) Krause Signed Letter on His Basketball Career and Hall of Fame Induction. Krause’s name is synonymous with Notre Dame. A basketball and football player there in the early 1930s, he coached both sports for the Fighting Irish in the 1940s. From 1949-81, he served as the university’s athletic director. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1976 as a player. In a two-page handwritten letter on Notre Dame stationery, Krause details his greatest basketball thrills and what his HoF induction means to him. His signature, authenticated by Kevin Keating, is gem mint 10. Krause passed away in 1992. A mailing envelope is included.
Minimum Bid $65.
Lot 289. 2 Bob Kurland Autographed Letters Related to His Hall of Fame Induction. A 7-foot center, Kurland helped Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) win NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946. His ability to jump above the rim to stop opponents’ shots led to the NCAA’s ban on goal tending in 1945. He was one of the first players to dunk the ball regularly. Kurland played on U.S. gold medal teams at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. He signed two letters, one on lined paper. In one letter, he discusses what his HoF induction means to him, and in the other, he describes what happened on his induction day. Kevin Keating authenticated the signatures, which are mint 9 to gem mint 10.
Minimum Bid $50.
Lot 290. 2 Harry Litwack Signed Letters on What His Hall of Fame Induction Means to Him. Litwack led a quality basketball program at Temple from 1947-73. In two brief handwritten letters, he discusses the meaning of his HoF induction. One letter is on lined paper. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs, which are gem mint 10. Litwack passed away in 1999.
Minimum Bid $65.
Lot 291. 2 Slater Martin Signed Letters on What His Hall of Fame Induction Means to Him. In 1982, Martin became the first Texas Longhorn in the HoF. A star at Texas, he was elected on the basis of his NBA career with the Lakers, Knicks and Hawks. In a career that spanned 1949-60, he was a seven-time All-Star and contributed to five championship teams. Martin placed large, bold gem mint 10 autographs on two handwritten letters that discuss his HoF induction. Kevin Keating authenticated the signatures. Martin also signed an accompanying envelope (return address) as “S. Martin.” Three Martin autographs!
Winning Bid $50.
Lot 292. 2 Arad McCutchan Signed Letters on His Coaching Career and HoF Induction. At the University of Evansville, McCutchan captured five NCAA College Division championships. He was a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 1981 and passed away in 1993. In one handwritten letter, McCutchan provides a comical, anecdotal account of his HoF induction and what it meant to him. In another three-page letter, he offers insights concerning his coaching philosophy. An original mailing envelope in included. McCutchan signed each letter “Arad.” The autographs are 10s authenticated by Kevin Keating. His signature is scarce in any form. Two autographs.
Minimum Bid $40.
Lot 293. 2 Ray Meyer Letters Describing What His Hall of Fame Induction Means to Him. From 1942-84, Meyer (died 2006) led the DePaul University basketball team to 724 victories, 21 post-season appearances, 13 in the NCAA tournament, and an NIT title. He was the 1978 Division 1 Coach of the Year, the same year he was elected to the Hall of Fame. He signed two one-page handwritten letters describing the importance to him of his HoF induction. Both signatures are gem mint 10s authenticated by Kevin Keating. Two autographs.
Winning Bid $50.
Lot 294. (Charles) “Stretch” Murphy Autographed One-Page Letter. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1960, Murphy was one of basketball’s first big men. With teammate and fellow HoFer John Wooden, Murphy led Purdue to its first Big 10 championship in 1930. In 1929, he set a Big 10 season scoring record. A consensus All-American in 1929 and 1930, he was named to the all-time All-American team. After Purdue, he played in the American Basketball League. In his 1991 handwritten letter in pencil, Murphy apologizes for his inability to offer a meaningful response to a request because of his age and lack of clear memories. He passed away in 1992. His signature is a 10 authenticated by Kevin Keating. The original mailing envelope is included.
Minimum Bid $40.
Lot 295. Pete Newell Unsigned One-Page Handwritten Letter on His Hall of Fame Induction. Newell (died 2008) reflects on what his election to the HoF means to him and the contributions of the people who made his success possible. Kevin Keating authenticated Newell’s writing in the unsigned letter. Elected to the HoF in 1978, Newell coached at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State and California. He led the 1959 Golden Bears to the NCAA championship and coached the U.S. men’s team that captured the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. At his basketball camps, he tutored most of the big men who played in the NBA. “The Sporting News” ranked him as the 31st best coach of all time in any sport, college or pro.
Winning Bid $40.
Lot 296. 2 John Nucatola Signed Letters on His Hall of Fame Induction and Officiating Career. Called basketball's "greatest official" by Hall of Famer Clair Bee, Nucatola (died 2000) believed the referee's most important responsibility was to make the right call. Often urging other referees to be willing to reconsider a call, he was a strong advocate of the three-man officiating crew. In two decades, he officiated more than 2,000 games, including games in 18 NCAA tournaments, 18 NIT tournaments, the American Basketball League, the Basketball Association of American and the National Basketball League. He was one of the original NBA refs. In both typed letters, Nucatola writes about what his Hall of Fame induction meant to him. In one letter, he also discusses his “Officiating Philosophy.” Kevin Keating authenticated the signatures, which are gem mint 10s. Nucatola’s business card is included. Three pieces, including two autographs!
Minimum Bid $75.
Lot 297. 2 Jim Pollard Signed Letters Discussing His View of Being Selected for the Hall of Fame. Pollard was one of pro basketball’s first superstars. An All-American on Stanford’s 1942 NCAA championship team, he subsequently starred at forward for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948-55. Dubbed the “Kangaroo Kid,” he was able to dunk the ball from the free throw line. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and played on five championship teams. He won two additional championships with the Lakers in the National Basketball League. Pollard was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977. He passed away in 1993. Authenticated by Kevin Keating, his signatures are large gem mint 10s on two handwritten letters that describe what his HoF induction meant to him. Two autographs by one of the NBA’s early greats!
Winning Bid $92.
Lot 298. 2 Frank Ramsey Signed Letters Describing What His HoF Induction Means to Him. Playing for the Boston Celtics, Ramsey was the original “sixth man.” Celtics coach Red Auerbach called him “the most versatile player in the NBA.” In 10 seasons with Boston, he contributed to seven NBA championships in nine years, including six in a row. In the playoffs from 1958-61, he averaged more than 18 points per game. Ramsey played college basketball for Kentucky; he was an All-American in 1952 and 1954. Elected to the HoF in 1981, he discusses his reaction in a one-page handwritten letter and then provides a brief description of induction day in another. The autographs are bold gem mint 10s authenticated by Kevin Keating. Two autographs.
Winning Bid $40.
Lot 299. Willis Reed Signed Letter Concerning His Greatest Basketball Thrills, HoF Induction. Selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Reed spent his entire career, as a player and coach, with the New York Knicks. The 1965 NBA Rookie of the Year, he was a seven-time All-Star and played on two championship teams. He averaged 18.74 points per game and ranks 11th all-time among NBA rebounders with 12.94 per game. From 1988-96, Reed served in administrative positions with the New York Nets. In a one-page typed letter on Nets letterhead, Reed describes his greatest basketball thrills and what his Hall of Fame induction meant to him. He signed “Willis.” Kevin Keating authenticated the signature, which is a 10. The original Nets mailing envelope accompanies the letter.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 300. Bill Sharman Signed One-Page Note Concerning His Hall of Fame Induction. One of the best shooting guards of all time, Sharman enjoyed great success as a player and coach. He was also superb at the foul line, hitting 89 percent of his career free throws. Playing for the Boston Celtics, he was an eight-time All-Star who played on eight championship teams. As a result of his play, he was selected as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest all-time players. As a coach, he won Coach of the Year awards and championships in both the NBA and the ABA. He played college basketball at USC. In a handwritten note on LA Lakers’ stationery, he describes the significance to him of his HoF induction. His signature, authenticated by Kevin Keating, is gem mint 10.
Winning Bid $40.
