Michael Jordan hasn’t played an NBA game in more than two decades, but “His Airness” is still putting up record-breaking numbers.
A game-worn, autographed Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals, the Finals featured in the hit documentary “The Last Dance,” has sold for an eye-popping $14 million in a private sale, making it the most expensive piece of basketball memorabilia ever sold.
Pennsylvania-based Hunt Auctions announced the blockbuster deal Monday morning, revealing that Miami real estate investor Ron Firman is the proud new owner of the iconic red Chicago Bulls jersey.
Michael Jordan holds up six fingers for each Bulls championship as he addresses the crowd at the Petrillo Music Shell at Grant Park on June 16, 1998, in Chicago. (Chuck Berman/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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MJ wore the jersey during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998, when the Bulls evened the series at 1-1. Chicago eventually captured its sixth championship in eight seasons, completing Jordan’s legendary run with the franchise and further solidifying himself as the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) in my opinion.
“While Michael Jordan’s importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art,” Hunt Auctions president David Hunt said.
And he’s not exaggerating.
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The $14 million sale ranks as the second-highest known price ever paid for a game-worn jersey across all sports. The only jersey ahead of Jordan’s? Babe Ruth’s famous “called shot” jersey from the 1932 World Series, which fetched an astonishing $24.12 million in 2024.
Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23), right, goes up against Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell (3) in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals on June 12, 1998. (Anne Ryan/USA Today)
But here’s where things get even crazier.
This is now the third Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals to sell for at least $10 million. His Game 1 jersey sold for approximately $10.1 million in 2022, while his Game 3 jersey brought in roughly $12.3 million just last month. That’s more than $36 million spent on three jerseys from one championship series.
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As for Firman, the man who just dropped eight figures on a piece of basketball history, he kept his reaction relatively simple.
“Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player who is admired around the world,” Firman said. “I’m very excited about the purchase.”
You’d certainly hope so after spending $14 million.
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Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls looks on durng a NBA game. Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bull from 1981 through 1998. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) (NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images)
According to Hunt Auctions, the jersey was originally purchased from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003 and has changed hands only once since that initial purchase.
Of course, the obsession with Jordan’s final championship season doesn’t stop at jerseys.
In 2023, a pair of Air Jordans worn by MJ during Game 2 of those same Finals sold for $2.2 million through Sotheby’s, setting a record at the time for the most expensive sneakers ever sold.
Nearly 30 years after Jordan sank his iconic championship-winning shot against Utah, collectors are still willing to spend fortunes to own a piece of his legacy.
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Michael Jordan famously said that “Republicans buy sneakers, too” and it seems like Nike forgot that. (WireImage)
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Michael Jordan may have retired from basketball, but when it comes to the memorabilia market, the GOAT is still undefeated.
