1936 HOOVER H.S. (SAN DIEGO) SO. CALIF. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BALL AND 1939 SAN DIEGO STATE COLLEGE NAIB NATIONAL CHAMPION RUNNERS UP TEAM SIGNED BALL (SDHOC COLLECTION)

This pair of vintage 1930's era game basketballs hails from the museum collection at the San Diego Hall of Champions. Each ball hold special memories for those familiar with local roundball star Milton "Milky" Phelps, who captained both Hoover High School and San Diego State College championship level teams in his heyday. Phelps was the only small-college player named to the prestigious Helms All-America team in 1941. He is a member of the Breitbard Hall of Fame at SDHOC and his #22 is retired by the SDSU Aztecs. He died in a plane crash during WWII. Of note, SDHOC founder and former San Diego Rockets (NBA) owner Bob Breitbard and the "Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams were Hoover High classmates and graduated in 1937.

The fully deflated Rawlings Official 'A.X.S." ball is unsigned and was used by the Hoover H.S. team in the 1936 Southern California Championship game. "HOOVER H.S. 1936" is penned in black on the ball. The other James Naismith branded ball, which can almost fully inflate, was used by the San Diego State College team that were runners up in the 1039 National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) tournament in Kansas City. The ball is neatly signed by 18 members including Milky Phelps and head coach Morris "Morry" Gross. The ball is neatly notated in large black marker "SAN DIEGO - SOUTHERN CALIF. CONFERENCE Champions - CALIF. STATE COLLEGE Champions - National Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tor. Kansas City Mo. 2nd place."