Sports Biz

Published: Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009 | 2:22 PM ET

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Source: greyflannelauctions.com Michael Jordan signed jersey.

Michael Jordan collectors have seen plenty hit the market, from game-used shoes to jerseys. But one of the most amazing pieces is set to go up for auction in time for Jordan's entrance into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame next month.

The item is the complete backboard and rim from the Delta Center in Utah, where Jordan famously hit his last shot with the Chicago Bulls in Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals. It's part of a Hall of Fame induction auction put on by Grey Flannel.

"This is one of the greatest pieces of memorabilia in basketball history," said Grey Flannel President Richard Russek. "If two bidders really want it, the sky is the limit here."

The item was actually consigned by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame itself. Years ago, they received half the Delta Center floor and the entire basket. The floor is displayed in the museum, but Don Senecal, the Vice President of Operations and Finance, said the fate of the basket was harder to figure out. The backboard and stanchion weigh more than a ton and obviously stretches up to the regulation 10 feet in height. Instead of remaining in storage, where it had been for years, Hall of Fame officials thought it would be better served in the hands of a collector that has the space to display it.

Source: greyflannelauctions.com Delta Center complete backboard and rim

Lots of this size typically present a challenge to auction companies, because it limits the prospective bidders. Steiner Sports, for example, put the Notre Dame football scoreboard up for bid in June, but it failed to meet its reserve price.

Bidding for the items in the Grey Flannel auction start online on Monday and are closed on September 12.

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