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Before Wilt Chamberlain would become a household name at the University of Kansas (playing in 2 National Championship games), he played hoops in West Philadelphia at Overbrook High School (the same high school that Will Smith would be rapping about 30 some years later for the TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Belair) for three years, the 1953, 1954 and 1955 seasons.
Overbrook won the Public League Title all three years. In 1953, in the Philadelphia City Championship game, Overbrook lost to the Catholic League champs, West Catholic. But in 1954 and 1955 they defeated Catholic League champs South Catholic and West Catholic, respectively, capturing the City Championship in Chamberlains final two seasons. Wilt, who was already 7" 1" in high school, scored 2252 points in three seasons, averaging 37.4 points per game. In his final season in 1955 he scored 74, 78, and 90 points in three consecutive games.
Offered is an incredibly rare 1954 Philadelphia High School Basketball Championship Program from Wilt’s Junior year. This dates from March 5, 1954, Wilt Chamberlain and the Overbrook High School basketball team playing against South Catholic High School for the Philadelphia City Championship. Overbrook would dominate their opponent by a score of 74-50 with Wilt scoring 32 of those points (winning the MVP award of the game), leaving his teammates to do the rest. Wilt spent most of the night being double and triple teamed; as even at the age of 17, he was a man amongst boys.
The program is in EX + condition, some handling wear to the cover, tight binding, no writing inside the program other than on the scoring pages, and no missing pages or cut outs. This is one of Wilt’s earliest and super important programs. Features the Overbrook roster and team photos with Wilt towering over his teammates.
Item: 13389
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