A Boston Celtics Larry Bird jersey worn during the 1987 Eastern Conference playoffs, including two finals games, has sold for more than half a million dollars — $524, 600 to be exact.
The jersey, sold by Heritage Auctions, had a bid of $175,000 when IndyStar wrote about the item last month. By Dec. 20 the final bid, which ended the sale, had catapulted 200%.
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“That 1986-87 Celtics squad was one of the most iconic teams of that era, with Bird right at the center of it,” Heritage Auctions said of the jersey, “making this item a rare relic of basketball history.”
According to Heritage Auctions, Bird wore the jersey for at least seven games:
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April 26, 1987, Game 2 in first round of Eastern Conference playoffs. Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 105-96. Bird’s stats: 37 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists.
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May 13, 1987, Game 5 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Celtics lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 129-124. Bird’s stats: 26 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists.
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May 17, 1987, Game 7 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-113. Bird’s stats: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
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May 19, 1987, Game 1 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons 104-91. Bird’s stats: 18 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
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May 21, 1987, Game 2 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Pistons 110-101. Bird’s stats: 31 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists.
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May 26, 1987, Game 5 of Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Pistons 108-107. Bird’s stats: 36 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 steal.
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May 30, 1987, Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Pistons 117-114. Bird’s stats: 37 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Note: The jersey “has striking similarities … but there were very limited available images from that game,” according to Mears Authentication, which used high-tech photo matching to authenticate the jersey.
A Larry Bird jersey worn during a 1987 Eastern Conference Finals game with the Boston Celtics is up for auction.
The jersey is also “an apparent match” to the one Bird wore May 5, 1987 for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and it matches two undated NBA game photographs of Bird during the 1986-87 NBA regular season, according to Mears.
A game-matched item is more valuable than a standard game-worn jersey, says Heritage Auctions, which showed in the final bid.
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Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Larry Bird game-worn jersey sells for more than half a million dollars
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