Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe POLLOCK PINES, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- A sharp-eyed California man spotted a rare autograph on a basketball his 12-year-old daughter bought at a rummage sale for a buck for the family dog. John Flores of Pollack Pines, Calif., spied some writing on the bargain ball, which turned out to say "Best wishes Lew Alcindor '68 NCAA champs," the Sacramento Bee reported. Advertisement "I'm no great college basketball fan, but I knew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," Flores told the newspaper. After finding out Alcindor autographs were among the rarest in the world, Flores sent the ball to a research firm to see if the message was authentic. Sure enough, after four months, Flores received the news he was hoping for -- the ball was indeed signed by the NBA superstar. Look for it to appear soon on the Internet auction site, eBay, the newspaper said. As for the dog, well, he'll just have to find another ball.
