This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2011
Red Auerbach was one of the most successful sports coaches and executives in history. For over a half-century he was the mastermind behind the Boston Celtics' 16 National Basketball Association championships. The strident Auerbach, among other qualities, was a master strategist, a sharp judge of personnel, and a racial pioneer. Perhaps the greatest mark for which he is singularly identified, is him becoming the first coach to have won 1,000 games, including playoffs. In commemoration of that milestone, The Sporting News presented Auerbach with this 11" by 14" plaque. Among the titling referencing the 1,000th Victory, it states, "This historic triumph, recorded on January 12, 1966, represents a personal achievement without parallel in the history of professional basketball." The plaque bears an actual signature of The Sporting News publisher C.C. Johnson Spink underneath its lacquered surface. This is certainly among the most significant of the many award plaques retained in Red Auerbach's vast personal collection of career mementos. Includes a letter of provenance from the Auerbach estate.