This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/15/2008.
Three-year NBA career and membership on the very first Knicks team in the 1946 inaugural season of the NBA may long have been forgotten, and for certain, his 6.7 scoring average and reserve status will never excite the historians nor the statisticians. However, Lee Knorek had the foresight to save his Knickerbockers' jacket and it is offered here as an extremely rare exemplar of the earliest days of the NBA from the Mecca of the basketball world - Madison Square Garden. The blue satin, shammy lined, long sleeve jacket resembles a pitcher's warm-up jacket or better yet, an early NFL Giants' sideline coach's jacket. In fact, the early-mid '50's Giants' jackets utilized the exact same blue satin twill and neck, sleeve, and waist cuffs in exact materials, dimensions, and elasticity. Made by Wilson, the jacket sports a ‘40's manufacturer's tag in the collar seam in tandem with a size 48 size tag. On the back in large felt lettering is "NEW YORK" with a smaller, never seen before "KNICKERBOCKERS" arched beneath. "KK", Knorek's nickname is penned into the inner neckline, and his last name is inked onto the collar. Six of seven buttons remain and while there are some holes and surface degradation near the sleeve edges and waist edge, the overall condition is solid for a 60-year old garment. The jacket shows tremendous wear and appears to have no alterations of any kind. Accompanied by a LOA from MEARS graded AUTHENTIC.