My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...8833-640wi.jpg

I was born in 1950 and lived in St Louis until 1985. As a kid I used to attend St Louis Hawk games with an uncle who was a season ticket holder. The Hawks moved to Atlanta in the mid 60s, but had some pretty good teams in the late 50s.

In the 56 draft the Hawks had the second pick and had Russell but traded him to Boston for Ed McCauley, who was a St Louis guy, and Cliff Hagen out of Kentucky who had been drafted by the Celts but had not yet played for them. At the time management felt white players were a better draw in St Louis.

The trade gave the Hawks Clyde Lovellete, Bob Pettit and Hagan up from and they had some success, actually beating the Celts in 57/58 for the championship ( with Russell hobbled by an ankle injury). But Celtic history with Russell is of course legendary

My only basketball set is the 61 Fleer set

Arthur-- if you can email me the pic I can try to post it. I still have a photo-bucket account

I think the checklist for the set is wrong. I think it has Russell and Arnelle mixed up. So, if someone is using the checklist to mark guys it is wrong and if PSA uses that list it is wrong.

Got theses from The Cheesburger.

Arthur-- 3d one looks cut off but that was all that was on the 3d attachment you sent

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...pskatbud4g.jpg

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...pshlw904fk.jpg

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...psmzoqbt1f.jpg

Thanks, Al. Yeah, that's where it shifted into the boxers. When I did my scans I cropped them all by sport -- baseball, football, basketball, boxing.

Arthur

Bill Russell
 

That is absolutely Bill Russell. This is the 1955 All American Sports Club issue. It is really a group of thin sheets with multi-sport player portraits. Recently we've seen people cutting up these sheets and PSA is rating them. I have mixed feelings about that. However, people are buying them and it would be Russell's first "card".

Regards,

Pat

Pat, which one do you say "is absolutely Bill Russell": the one labeled Bill Russell or the one labeled Jess Arnelle? Your post is not clear. And please explain why: do you have a source image that might help clear things up?

Al, here's one you might get a kick out of:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0Lovelette.jpg

I think this is Lovelette's first card, from the 1952 Olympics

It's obvious which one is Russell.

Neat issue, Adam, I have a Zatopek from the same, I can't find a Felix Potin in decent shape to save my life.

Oh and it looks like PSA now calls Russell Russell.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-All-Am...p2047675.l2557

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0Lovelette.jpg

I think this is Lovelette's first card, from the 1952 Olympics[/QUOTE]

I have always liked Lovelette's autograph on programs and yearbooks. Unique.

PSA's about-face won't make things more confusing :rolleyes: