Forty years after retiring from the NBA, the "Houdini of the Hardwood" still has plenty of fans.

An auction of more than 150 items from the personal collection of Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics great Bob Cousy sold for a combined $455,641 on Friday.

Cousy's 1956-57 NBA MVP award sold for $51,573, while his 1957 championship ring ($27,180), 1971 Hall of Fame induction ring ($19,134) and 5000th career assist game ball ($11,132) also yielded competitive bidding.

"This is probably largest basketball collection from a player ever to come to market at one time," said David Kohler, president of SportsCards Plus, the firm that conducted the auction. "The activity between the phones and the internet was incredible. It shows how well loved he is."

A signed lithograph of the NBA's 50 greatest players given to Cousy sold for $86,940 and an 11-by-14 photo of the 1963 Celtics in the Oval Office signed by President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated 40 years ago on Saturday, was purchased for $25,300.

Other items in the SportsCards Plus auction included a Babe Ruth game-used bat from the 1920's, which sold for $34,688, and a program from the first Rose Bowl in 1902, which cost the winning bidder $35,520.

Proceeds from the auction will be used to defray the costs of a college education for Cousy's grandchildren.

Cousy's Celtics won six championships throughout his 13-year career. He led the league in assists for eight consecuitve years and played in 13 straight All-Star games.

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at Darren.rovell@espn3.com.