This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/2/2012
One of the rarest and most significant early pro basketball awards we’ve offered, this handsome 14-karat gold dime sized pin was awarded to Dave "Pretzel" Banks of the 1927 ABL New York Celtics Championship Team. Banks who stood only 5-5, was considered one of the fastest players in the league, hence his other nickname, "Flash." The 13th leading scorer in ABL history, he averaged a league-leading 8.4 ppg in that 1927 season, the second year in a row the team had won the league title. This Celtic team was a trendsetter, bringing about the zone defense and incorporating the center as the hub of the offense. Divided into three sections, the center features a diamond chip and below it reads "Celtics American League Basketball 1927." Left side says "World" and right side, "Champs." This is a basketball prize of the utmost rarity given its age and probability that a very limited number of these pins were originally issued. Important to note: this Boston Celtics team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as collective group. The pin survives in Nr-Mt condition.