The personal collection of one of basketball's all-time greats, Bill Walton, is coming to auction this summer.
In June, Hunt Auctions will sell Walton's basketball collection, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Orthopedic Department of the University of California San Diego.
The collection includes memorabilia from his earliest days at UCLA, all the way into his later years, with the biggest items, of course, coming from his basketball career.
Included in the auction are his four championship rings — two with UCLA, one with the Portland Trail Blazers and one with the Boston Celtics — his Naismith NCAA Player of the Year trophy, his NBA MVP trophy and his Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ring.
His two NBA championship rings mark a stark contrast in two of the most unique rings the league has ever seen. In 1977, Walton guided the 49-win Trail Blazers to their first and only title, producing the greatest season in franchise history.
Nine years later, Walton came off the bench for the Celtics, winning Sixth Man of the Year and helping the Celtics capture their 16th NBA title, on what many consider to be the greatest team in league history.
Previous rings from the '86 Celtics have sold at auction. Starting center Robert Parish, the anchor of Boston's defense, sold his ring at Grey Flannel in 2012 for just over $40,388.
"Our family has been blessed with many priceless experiences as a result of Bill’s basketball career," Walton's wife, Lori, said. "It is in the spirit of the support that fans displayed to Bill throughout those many seasons that we are sharing some of his memorabilia with that same group of special people."
The auction won't be limited to just basketball.
Walton was famously one of sports' most eccentric characters, known for his profound love of music, most notably The Grateful Dead.
The auction will feature several unnamed items from Walton's collection of the band, as he was one of the most loyal and ardent "Deadheads."
Additionally, there will be items from his long broadcasting career.
“Bill Walton stands as a titan in the history of the game of basketball,” Hunt Auctions president David Hunt said. “We are honored to present Bill Walton’s personal collection, which is one of the most important of its type to have been offered at public auction."
A special preview of select items will take place on Sunday at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, when the Bruins face off against Ohio State.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.