Getting away with Michael Jordan’s money and doing his signature shrug to his face, and that super cool mullet, those are the things that make John Michael Wozniak and icon. The Last Dance’s greatest gift was making Michael Jordan’s favorite security guy a lovable icon in just a few seconds. He was dear enough to the Bulls legend to receive a massive gift from him. That gift is now worth five figures.

Wozniak passed away from colon cancer in January 2020, four months before The Last Dance aired on Netflix. We still witnessed Jordan’s unseen bond with his security team, including Wozniak.

For his years of service at the United Center, he received a championship ring from the team’s ’96 and ’97 runs. 30 years since, and five years since his passing, the rings hit the auction block at Leland’s along with the bodyguard’s jacket. This is the friends and family ring that the team usually gifts to people with significant contributions to the franchise.

His 1995-96 NBA championship ring fetched $25,233. The 1996-97 ring sold for $9,252. His jacket sold for $403. That combines for almost $35,000.

The same week, Sotheby’s auctioned Jordan’s teammate, James Edward’s ’96 championship ring. Bids started at $80,000 for this one and its significantly more detailed, bulky, and blinged up. Wozniak’s ring would seem tame next to it. But how many bodyguards you know would get bids for their memorabilia?

Michael Jordan’s bodyguards embellished the Jordan lore

Usually, a celebrity’s bodyguard doesn’t get any kind of attention but this did. After the death of James R. Jordan in 1993, Michael Jordan found a father figure in the chief of security, Gus Lett, and lifelong friends in John Michael Wozniak, and Clarence Travis.

These guys made an iconic quartet walking between Jordan’s famous Ferrari and the United Center in pictures. His jacket in that one picture inspired an entire Nike design.

Contrary to the ’90s party look his signature curly mullet would imply, John Michael Wozniak was not to be messed with. He served in the US Army and was a narcotics officer in the Chicago Police Department.

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But fans fell in love with his goofy dad personality when a clip behind the scenes of March 28, 1998 game against the Boston Celtics. As usual, Jordan was in his suit, hanging in the locker room and getting his blood boiling with wagers. This night’s preys were his bodyguards.

They flipped coins and Wozniak beat the scoring champion twice! To top it off, he did the famous Jordan Shrug in the man’s face. Made it look so adorable too.

The likes of Byron Scott and Mark Jackson got scorched with 40+ points for daring to taunt the Black Cat. The infamously restless 6x NBA champion would not let Charles Barkley or others leave poker games till he had their money in his pockets.

When Wozniack won and taunted him, he had Michael Jordan’s respect. That clip showing it made him the most famous bodyguard after Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard.

His memorabilia is as much part of the Jordan lore. Barring those limited edition Nike Air Jordans he inspired, these are the last few remnants of perhaps the only friendship that lasted from the Bulls dynasty.