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1946 Detroit Gems Team Signed Broadside--Became

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Autographs (Original) Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,200.00 USD
1946 Detroit Gems Team Signed Broadside--Became
<B>1946 Detroit Gems Team Signed Broadside--Became the Minnesota/Los Angeles Lakers!</B></I> Had the National Basketball League franchise the Detroit Gems been anything other than simply awful in 1946, who knows how different the NBA would be today? Posting a miserable four and forty record the season this exceedingly scarce broadside was issued, the club was on the verge of extinction when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen purchased the club for $15,000 and relocated it to Minnesota, renaming the franchise the "Lakers." The draft of 1947 would soon arrive, and the newly christened Lakers, by virtue of their last place finish in '46, were afforded the first overall pick. Their selection: George Mikan. And the rest, as they say, is history. So don't go looking for any stars among the thirteen 9/10 ink signatures that dot this historic exhibition game announcement--you won't find any. Frankly, that's the point. The broadside itself is the real "gem" here, the only one from this franchise known to exist, and just about the only piece of any kind related to the Detroit Gems surviving to this day. The cardstock poster measures 11x14" in size and is affixed to a scrapbook page by ancient staples. Some tack holes, light water staining and a chipped corner are apparent, but nothing can challenge the appeal or historical significance of this supreme rarity. <I>LOA from PSA/DNA.</B></I>