Hi everybody,

I just returned to New Jersey from Boston after authenticating the sets of game-worn NBA Finals jerseys that are now up for auction through our NBA & MeiGray Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program.

I wanted to take everybody through the process, step-by-step.

Every authenticated Finals jersey carries an individually numbered NBA & MGG Authentication Program security tag below the adidas jock tag on the lower left front the jersey. These tags were added to the jerseys by our taggers in New Jersey last week, and delivered directly to the teams before the Finals began.

The Lakers wore the same set of purple jerseys (a set is 15 jerseys, which includes three inactive players) in Games 1 and 2. I took possession of the Lakers' jerseys minutes after the Celtics' Game 2 108-102 victory. I authenticated them by matching the serial numbers to our records and comparing photos of the jersey in use to the jersey in my hands.

I then gently rinsing them in cold water last night, so that they could dry before I got on the plane with the jerseys this morning.

The Celtics wore their authenticated set of white jerseys in Game 1 only. They chose to wear a second, untagged set, in Game 2. I took possession of the Celtics' Game 1 jerseys minutes after last night's game, and authenticated these also by matching the serial numbers to our records, and comparing photos of the jersey in use to the jersey in my hands.

After flying into LaGuardia, I drove to the NBA Store in Manhattan, where I delivered the Kobe Bryant purple and Kevin Garnett white Game-worn Finals jerseys. They were immediately displayed in the Fifth Avenue window. They will be there through June 24, the day the auction ends.

An NBA & MGG Program Director from the NBA is in Los Angeles for Game 3. We will be using the exact same process for the green Celtics and gold Lakers jerseys from Game 3 that will go up for auction when Game 3 tips off tomorrow night.

Good luck to all who participate in the auction,

Barry Meisel
MeiGray
nbagameworn.com ... where Game-Worn Jerseys Happen.