This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/21/2017
In conjunction with the NBA’s 50th Anniversary in 1996, the NBA named it’s 50 greatest players and 10 greatest coaches of all-time. Each honoree was given a custom leather jacket individually designed and manufactured by Jeff Hamilton as part of the 1997 All-Star festivities in Cleveland. The late Chuck Daly joined Red Auerbach, Jack Ramsay, Lenny Wilkins, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, John Kundla, Red Holzman and Bill Fitch as this elite group of honored head coaches. Offered here is the one and only jacket presented to 1994 Hall of Fame inductee, Chuck Daly, and sourced from his estate.
Daly's rugged "Bad Boys" teams in the 1980's went back-to-back in 1989 and '90, earning him the reputation of a tough, defensive-minded strategist who imposed his will on opponents through the likes of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Lambeer and Dennis Rodman, among others. Selected as head coach of the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team", which Naismith called "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet", Daly led this star-studded group to the gold medal in Barcelona, and would eventually earn a second Hall of Fame induction posthumously.
The Detroit Piston's themed red and white, thick leather snap-button jacket has the NBA 50 Greatest logo on the left chest with Jeff Hamilton’s custom logo on the left sleeve and inside the rear collar. It comes in size XXL. The back has "PISTONS" in large blue leather numbers outlined in white. A gold NBA logo is located on the outer back collar. On the inside lining is "JEFF HAMILTON" stitched in black above an embroidered black label reading "This is a Limited Edition of 10 Jackets designed by Jeff Hamilton, commissioned by the National Basketball Association to Honor the Ten Greatest Coaches in the History of the League." A very exclusive garment, produced to the highest standards of quality, it remains exceptionally well-preserved with not even a scratch. Only a few jackets of the 50 Greatest Players or 10 Greatest Coaches have ever surfaced in the hobby. For reference, we auctioned Red Auerbach's jacket from his personal collection for $13,628 in 2011. Daly's comes with its original navy blue wool garment bag, emblazoned with two Jeff Hamilton logos, for proper storage and transport.
As if the jacket was not enough, this lot also includes the original typed signed congratulatory letter from former NBA commissioner David Stern to Chuck Daly dated 4/15/1997. The letter comes on Stern's personal letterhead, and he even added a P.S. inscription at the bottom to his pal, Chuck: "See you on the 'playoff road'; and then who knows where next year. - DJS."
Provenance: Copy of LOA from Chuck Daly's widow. Also comes with letter from Rich Behar, owner of SportsCard Central, who acquired this jacket and many other items directly from the Daly estate in 2010.
PSA COA (T37558) for Stern's autograph on the TSL.