A warmup jacket worn by NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals sold for $89,600 at a Sotheby’s auction on Monday, significantly surpassing its original thrift store purchase price of $3.07. The jacket, a short-sleeved yellow piece worn by Chamberlain as the Los Angeles Lakers secured their championship victory over the New York Knicks, was discovered by Quinn Brown, a teenager who found it in a Goodwill store near Portland, Oregon, earlier this year.

Brown, who has been reselling thrifted clothing online for three years, spotted the Lakers jacket in a large bin of garments and quickly retrieved it after noticing Chamberlain’s name on the jacket. Following the purchase, he conducted research by comparing the jacket’s stitching, patches, and measurements with archival photographs and other documented jerseys worn by Chamberlain, who stood 7 feet, 1 inch tall. Convinced of the jacket’s authenticity, Brown shared images of the find on social media, which led Sotheby’s to reach out and arrange for the jacket’s consignment.

Sotheby’s confirmed that the jacket had indeed been worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals, a series in which Chamberlain was named Finals MVP and the Lakers earned their first title in franchise history since relocating to Los Angeles. The auction house described the jacket as an extraordinary and rare piece of sports memorabilia, emphasizing the uniqueness of game-worn clothing that can be photomatched to a specific championship series from that era.

The jacket attracted a total of 48 bids during the auction, ultimately selling for $89,600. Sotheby’s had earlier estimated the value between $150,000 and $250,000 but noted the final selling price fell short of expectations.

Wilt Chamberlain, who played in the NBA from 1959 to 1973, is widely regarded as one of basketball’s all-time greats, holding the record for most points scored in a single game with 100 in 1962. He won two NBA championships, including one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967 and the Lakers’ 1972 title.

This auction follows a notable sale of another Chamberlain 1972 finals item at Sotheby’s in 2023, when a game jersey worn by the player sold for $4.9 million, ranking among the most expensive NBA jerseys ever auctioned.

Reflecting on the discovery, Brown described the find as exceptionally fortunate. “I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” he said. The sale marks a remarkable turnaround from a modest thrift store purchase to a significant piece of basketball history.