A jersey which was worn by basket ball legend Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA finals, a period chronicled in the hit Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’ – has been sold for a record $10.091m at auction.
The sum is the highest ever for a piece of sports clothing, eclipsing the $9.28m paid for the shirt worn by Diego Maradona during the “Hand of God” game against England at the 1986 World Cup.
This is not the first time a Jordan memorabilia is selling for a high amount. An autographed player card of Jordan sold for $2.7m in October 2021. The record for any sports-related item was the $12.6m paid for a Mickey Mantle baseball card, which sold in August.
Jordan wore the jersey, which was auctioned by Sotheby’s, in Game 1 of the series in which he won his sixth and final NBA title with the Chicago Bulls.
“The season itself is his ‘magnum opus’ as an athlete, and a testament to him as a champion and competitor,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables on Thursday, September 15.
“Finals jerseys from Jordan are remarkably scant and the [1998] finals are arguably the most coveted of them all.”
Wachter said there had been considerable interest in the jersey.
“In the weeks since we announced the auction, there’s been palpable excitement from not only sports fans, but collectors alike who are eager to own a rarified piece of history,” Wachter said.
“[The] record-breaking result, with an astounding 20 bids, solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT, proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago.”