The Donation

Over the yeas, I have a nice collection of Albany Patroons game-worn jerseys. Owning them brings me plenty of joy and peace. Look, if you’ve got a game-worn Shohei Ohtani jersey, I’m sure you treasure it. For me, however, owning a Joshua Cameron #6 game-worn from the 2019 TBL championships where the Patroons finally surpassed their long-time rivals, the Yakima Sun Kings, with Cameron scoring at least ten consecutive points to swing the momentum to Albany’s favor … you ain’t taking that away from me.

Last week, after much thought and debate, I decided these jerseys need a safer home. So I contacted the Albany Institute of History and Art – the curator of Albany’s local history and culture. I’ve donated various pieces to the Institute over the years – from the holdings of the Street Academy / Harriet Gibbons High School (all the yearbooks, photos, and other ephemera when the school closed in 2010), and a collection of Civil War-era tokens and storefronts that I used for a photography project.

Originally I wanted to donate all the jerseys, so they would be stored and preserved. After further discussions with the curator, we agreed that the Institute would be interested in ONE jersey, rather than the whole lot.

So they’re getting this one.

This is an Albany Patroons 2005-2007 game-worn jersey, and during the 2006-07 season it was worn by Jamario Moon. In fact, the jersey still has his nameplate on the back.

Jamario Moon starred for the Patroons from 2005 to 2007, and then went to the NBA. He played for the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Bobcats, among other teams – the man played alongside Lebron James and Shaquille O’Neal as teammates. How incredible is that?

And in the end, I still have the other Patroons gear. These treasures are important to me. It’s part of my fandom and loyalty to the gold and kelly green.

And now one of these treasures will have a new home in a museum. And I’m happy with that.