Having multiple signatures on sports collectibles can actually be worth less than the cumulative value of all the individual players. This of course is dependent upon many factors. And some multi-signed items are given a huge premium. One item that comes up for auction from time to time is the National Basketball Association 50 Greatest Players from 1946 to 1996. While it does miss the latest generation of NBA greats, the document is stunning.

The big question is how much the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players signed lithograph should be worth. Unfortunately, it’s complicated because there are player-owned and presented examples, and there are other examples. Despite there being a limited run of 250 various examples, each one is unique in that some are signed all the way and some have far fewer signatures. Unsigned examples are automatically worth less than the autographed examples, and the examples which were presented to and owned by the 50 NBA players generate a significant premium.

Vintage Sports Authentics is currently auctioning off many autographed items of the great players of all-time (GOATs). One of those items is the NBA 50 Greatest Players Autographed Lithograph, which clearly states that it has 49 signatures rather than 50. The full list of signatures has been provided (see below).

The lithograph’s only missing signature is Pete Maravich, who died suddenly in 1988 from heart failure during a pick-up game of basketball. According to VSA’s auction description, the NBA 50 Greatest Players lithograph was limited to 250 individually numbered pieces. The first 50 examples went directly to the players. That was followed by an “NBA Edition” of 100 examples, as well as 50 in a “Legends Edition” and 50 in a “Field of Dreams” edition.

VSA’s minimum bid started at $10,000 and the current bid was $12,100 with more than 7 days to go. Only 3 bids had been placed as of the time this was being worked on. This particular example is numbered LE 32/50 for the Legends Edition.

This lithograph is truly is a once-in-a-lifetime piece of basketball history. The notion that there are multiple examples doesn’t mean the once-in-a-life issue goes away. These lithographs simply cannot be duplicated. There are now many of basketball’s greatest players who have died in the 25 years since this NBA artifact’s creation.

The valuations of this historic basketball creation will seem to be all over the place. Then again, after a review on the provenance of each it becomes more clear why and how the valuations of realized sales prices comes into play.

Heritage Auctions sold a framed but unsigned example of the lithograph back on September 13, 2015 and its realized price was just $107.55. In July of 2014, Heritage sold a signed lithograph of the NBA’s Top 50 Greatest Players (numbered NBA 16/100) for $41,825.00 after just 11 bids. Heritage had several other auctions for the same document examples being sold. Here were the lowest and highest other prices seen from various Heritage auctions:

• 1996 NBA’s 50 Greatest Players Signed Lithograph, which was Celtics guard Bill Sharman’s personal example (dubbed Sharman 1/1) on August 29, 2020 for $37,200.00.
• 1996 NBA’s 50 Greatest Players Signed Lithograph in May of 2012 (numbered NBA 33/100) for $38,837.50 after 12 bids.
• 1996 NBA’s 50 Greatest Players Signed Lithograph in February of 2015 (numbered NBA 6/100) for $31,070.00 after 11 bids.
• 1996 NBA’s 50 Greatest Players Signed Lithograph saw a “Legends Edition” print (numbered LE 34/50) sell on May 17, 2018 for $28,800.00 after just 8 bids.
• 1996 NBA 50 Greatest Players lithograph print was a printer’s proof numbered PP1 from the “Field of Dreams” edition. That sold on October 18, 2018 for $19,200.00 after 10 bids.

Goldin Auctions has also seen multiple sales with various examples of this same lithograph. These were seen as follows:

• 1996 NBA 50 Greatest Players multi-signed with 37 signatures including Kareem, Bird, Erving, Magic, Russell (Beckett), which sold for $7,800.00 after 10 bids.
• NBA 50 Greatest Players lithograph completely signed Artist Proof Limited Edition (4/30) with JSA & Field of Dream COA) for $31,200.00 after 11 bids.
• NBA 50 Greatest Players lithograph completely signed Artist Proof Limited Edition (22/50) with Field of Dreams COA for $31,200 after 14 bids.
• NBA 50 Greatest Players lithograph completely signed Field of Dreams Edition (30/50) certified by Beckett for $26,400 after 12 bids.
• John Havlicek’s Personal NBA’s 50 Greatest Players signed lithograph (Havlicek 1/1, PSA/DNA) sold in 2019 for $50,400.00 after 6 bids.
• Jerry Lucas’ Personal NBA’s 50 Greatest Players signed lithograph (Lucas 1/1, PSA/DNA) sold for $78,870.00 in 2016 after 19 bids.
• Hakeem Olajuwon’s Personal NBA’s 50 Greatest Players autographed lithograph (Olajuwon L.E. 1/1) sold for $75,020.00 after 10 bids, but that same Olajuwon’s personal example had previously sold for $70,504.88 after 10 bids.

The document up for auction thru VSA comes with a PSA/DNA letter of authenticity with a picture. Here are the signatures on the 25-inch by 39-inch lithograph:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Magic Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens and James Worthy in gray pencil.

There is also a NBA 50 Greatest Players multi-signed complete set of 4 Basketballs which also had 49 total signatures (including Jordan & Chamberlain – PSA/DNA), and that lot sold through Goldin Auctions for $163,750.00 after 17 bids. But that is not the same sort of sports history.