Michael Jordan is once again atop the sports memorabilia landscape. A game-worn Chicago Bulls jersey, which MJ donned during game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, recently sold for an astounding $10.1M at auction.
The red Bulls jersey, dubbed “The Last Dance jersey”, is the most ever paid for a game-worn piece of memorabilia, eclipsing the previous record of $9.28M paid for a Diego Maradona 1986 World Cup kit.
The 1997-98 season, Jordan’s last with the Bulls, gained notoriety over the last few years as the subject of the Netflix docu-series “The Last Dance”. The Bulls would go on to win the 1998 Finals 4-2 over the Utah Jazz to clinch the franchise’s second threepeat and 6th title of Jordan’s career.
Sotheby’s, which facilitated the sale, confirmed that it was the most expensive MJ related item ever sold at auction.
“Today’s record-breaking result solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed G.O.A.T., proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago,” Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, Brahm Wachter, said in a statement to the media.
“The [1998] season itself is his ‘magnum opus’ as an athlete, and a testament to him as a champion and competitor,” added Wachter. “Finals jerseys from Jordan are remarkably scant and the [1998] finals are arguably the most coveted of them all.”
While the 8 figure sum is impressive in and of itself, it’s even more noteworthy as it completely resets the game-worn paraphernalia market as well. The previous record for an NBA jersey was $3.69M for a rookie season Kobe Bryant jersey in the months following his passing.
With Jordan’s new high water mark officially in the record books, it’s widely expected that other high profile jerseys will also see an uptick in interest and sale prices moving forward as well.
The jersey is only the 2nd known game worn version from Michael Jordan’s 6 championship seasons to be sold at auction.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner