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Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals sells for a mammoth $10.09MILLION at auction – over DOUBLE its estimate – as it becomes most-expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia EVER
- The jersey was worn by Michael Jordan during an overtime loss to the Utah Jazz
- The item fetched more than double the amount it was estimated at
- And it’s only the second Jordan Finals jersey to appear at auction
A Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals has become the most expensive piece of game-worn memorabilia ever, as it sold for north of $10 million at an auction Thursday.
The jersey was worn during Game 1 against the Jazz, as Jordan played 45 minutes and scored 33 points, forcing overtime but ultimately falling 88-85 to Utah.
The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games.
The item is the second one of Jordan’s Finals jersey to appear at auction, and received 20 bids before ultimately being sold.
It was initially estimated at a high of $5 million.
The sale shattered both basketball-specific and sports-wide records for game-worn items, as the previous record for a basketball jersey was $3.7 million for a Kobe Bryant jersey from the 1996-97 season.
Furthermore, the previous record for any game-worn sports memorabilia had been set earlier this year, as Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ jersey sold for $9.3 million.
The estimated price of the shirt was between $3million and $5million, listed by Sotheby’s
Michael Jordan led the Bulls to the 1998 NBA championship in six games over the Jazz
However, a Mickey Mantle baseball card that sold for $12.6 million last month holds the record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever.
While Jordan won six titles, his 1998 ring gained particular notoriety due to the 2020 ESPN/Netflix documentary series ‘The Last Dance’ which chronicled the team’s last year with its core of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and coach Phil Jackson.
Before the season began, team general manager Jerry Krause told Jackson that the 1997-98 season would be his last with the team.
That decision effectively meant that it would also be the last year in Chicago for Jordan, who was extremely committed to Jackson, and set the stage for a memorable championship run that postseason.
The sale of Jordan’s Finals jersey was done by Sotheby’s, and was part of the company’s sports artifacts collection Invictus Part I.
The collection also featured memorabilia from Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Dennis Rodman, Wayne Gretzky and more.
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