If you're a Chargers fan headed to Las Vegas for the Week 2 matchup, you now have the chance to see a collection of historic sports memorabilia while in town.
Legendary sports broadcaster Jim Gray recently teamed up with Tom Brady to open the Hall of Excellence, a one-of-a-kind sports museum located at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Gray's wife, Frann, also played a pivotal role in the creation and ideation of the museum.
The museum features hundreds of notable artifacts from iconic sports stars such as Tiger Woods, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Brady, Simone Biles, Billie Jean King, Serena Williams and others.
Artifacts highlighting the careers of Laker icons Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are also featured.
"We wanted to get all of this stuff out of people's safety deposit boxes or closets and let them share what was earned in front of all of them," Gray recently told Chargers.com. "Let everyone enjoy it and marvel at the achievements and excellence all over again.
"We hope the people come to the museum and recall favorite moments and get the next generation to go further and reach higher," Gray added.
Gray noted the collection of artifacts was curated from both his and Brady respective careers, while some pieces are on loan.
There is a Chargers tie in, too, as Hall of Famer Lance Alworth has an autographed football on display.
"Lance Alworth was the best receiver in the history of the AFL," Gray said. "And I grew up in Denver with the Broncos and loved the AFL.
"He and John Hadl were such a great combination. "Bambi" was special and was excellent for his time, and all time," Gray added. "So it was important for me to honor him and the AFL."
Each visitor at the museum gets an iPhone and Morgan Freeman narrates a half-hour tour. The Hall of Excellence is also divided up into sections by sport, with iconic voices providing info on what each artifact represents.
Jim Nantz, for example, describes artifacts for golf and the NFL while Marv Albert is the voice for basketball memorabilia. Gray leads the boxing section and Mike "Doc" Emrick gives you the low down on hockey.
Gray said some of the most notable sports and entertainment artifacts on display are the bat from when Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, Brady's seven Super Bowl rings, Clint Eastwood's first Oscar and Oprah Winfrey's Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"There is literally something for everyone in the Hall," Gray said.
Click here for tickets and additional information on the Hall of Excellence.
