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Tennis and Golf Autographs
7 Lots
 Lot 360. “SI’s” First Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Issue Signed by Wooden and King. In its first year, Sports Illustrated” initiated the practice of honoring a “Sportsman of the Year.” For the first time in 1972, the award was expanded to include a woman as well. John Wooden was selected for leading the UCLA basketball team to its sixth consecutive NCAA basketball championship, and eighth in nine years. Billie Jean King was chosen for winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Their autographs are gem mint 10s on the cover of the Dec. 25, 1972 issue, which is ex-m+. Autographs authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $121.
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 Lot 363. Arthur Ashe Autographed July 14, 1975 “Sports Illustrated.” The headline on the magazine’s front cover tells the story: “Shocker at Wimbledon: Ashe Chops Up Connors.” He was the first African-American to capture the Wimbledon championship. In 1968, he won the U.S. Open and became the first black man to be ranked #1 in tennis. In 1970, he won both the French Open and the Australian Open. These successes place him among the all-time elite of tennis. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1983, Ashe underwent a second round of bypass surgery. Subsequently, he developed AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion received during the surgery. In the final year of his life, he worked to call attention to AIDS sufferers, and he established the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to deal with health care delivery issues. For these efforts and his life in sports, “SI” named him its “Sportsman of the Year” for 1992. He died in early 1993. Ashe’s autograph is mint 9 to gem mint 10 and has been authenticated by Kevin Keating. The magazine has a label at the lower left.
Winning Bid $134.
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