The American Museum of Natural History 'For the Win' Exhibit: Sports Collectible Greatness
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The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City recently announced their latest exhibition, "For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence". On display at the exhibit will be some of the most jaw-dropping and historically significant sports objects that embody greatness and cut across more than 15 sports and date back nearly 150 years.
This exhibit will have something for everyone, including multiple gold medals, like Jesse Owens’s legendary gold medal from the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics and Kevin Durant’s gold with Team USA in 2024. Over 70 objects will be on display, showcasing the best of the best from a wide range of sports, including baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, boxing, golf, and more.
"For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence" opens on May 15, so mark your calendars. Below are just some of the exhibit's crown jewels.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleIt's been hoisted by some of the NFL's greatest players, and soon it will be on display at the exhibit. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the award given to the winners of the Super Bowl each year and it was named in honor of the legendary Green Bay Packers coach after his death in 1970.
Lombardi transformed the struggling Packers into a gritty grid-iron winning machine. Under Lombardi's leadership, the Packers went 98-30-4, recorded five championships, and never had a losing season.
The legendary coach is also attributed with some incredible quotes about resilience, including "winners never quit and quitters never win" and "it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."
The trophy itself is made entirely of sterling silver, stands 22 inches tall, and weighs roughly 7 pounds. It's also been handcrafted by luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. since 1967.
Kevin Durant's 2017 Warriors Championship Ring
The For the Win collection will also feature Kevin Durant's championship ring from the Golden State Warriors title run in 2017. It took the Warriors only five games to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Durant was the unanimous NBA Finals MVP, averaging an incredible 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds. 5.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game.
The ring itself is a jaw dropper. There are numerous details capturing key stats about the Warriors' 2016-17 season, like the 36 princess blue sapphires that represent the number of Warriors home wins. But most impressive is the 11 carats total weight of the ring, which at the time was more diamonds than any other championship ring in the history of the four major American sports.
Jesse Owens 1936 Olympic Gold Medal
One of the most inspirational pieces at the exhibit will be Jesse Owens' 1936 gold medals.
Three years prior to Germany invading Poland, Berlin hosted the Summer Olympics, which served as a major propaganda tool for Nazi Germany. However, Jesse Owens exceeded expectations and won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, the 4x100m relay, and the long jump.
With his record-breaking speed and dominant performance, Owens single-handedly shattered Adolf Hitler's narrative about Aryan supremacy. The image of Owens saluting on the podium after winning the long jump is one of the most iconic and inspirational images in all of sports.
Breanna Stewart's 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
The 2024 WNBA Championship was special. The New York Liberty battled the Minnesota Lynx, sending the fifth and final game into overtime before ultimately securing the win for the franchise's first championship. Breanna Stewart was a major catalyst in every game, averaging 18.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks.
Stewart's diamond-studded 2024 WNBA Championship ring is exquisite, but don't let the exterior fool you. The top of the ring actually twists off to reveal a pair of hidden earrings. The design team understood that most players wouldn't be flaunting the ring on a regular basis, so they included earrings that the players could wear on a regular basis.
Yogi Berra's Babe Ruth Crown
The Babe Ruth Crown was awarded to Yogi Berra in 1975 for his lifetime batting achievements with the New York Yankees. Yogi Berra was an 18-time All-Star and helped the Yankees win 10 World Series championships. Berra had a career batting average of .285, with 2,150 hits, 358 home runs, and 1,430 RBIs across 19 seasons in the MLB, and all but his final season were with the Yankees.
Yogi Berra is one of only six players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He is broadly regarded as one of baseball’s all-time great catchers. Berra was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972 alongside Sandy Koufax and Early Wynn.
All the above are just a fraction of what will be on display at the AMNH. For more information on all the above and much more, check out amnh.org/exhibitions/for-the-win.
Conor is a life long sports card enthusiast who started collecting in the early ’90s, inspired by hometown heroes like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz. Like many ’90s hoops fans, he also started building (and continues to build) a modest Michael Jordan collection.