Michael Jordan Surpasses Late Legends Kobe Bryant and Bill Russell with $10.1 Million Record Breaking Sale of 1998 NBA Finals Jersey
Michael Jordan charmed the world during the 1990s by displaying his mastery on the basketball court night after night. Opponents were left defenseless and panting for breath as “His Airness” glided up and down the floor. He spearheaded the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in eight years, eternally cementing his and his team’s legacy. No one came close to Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ stature of fame in the 1990s. Therefore, any memorabilia associated with them is sure to fetch a boatload of money. One of Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jerseys recently did the same.
On Tuesday, one of Jordan’s “Last Dance” jerseys broke the bank. The #23 jersey was from the Chicago Bulls‘ historic 1998 NBA Finals run and was auctioned off for a staggering $10.1 million at Sotheby’s. This is by far the highest price paid for any piece of basketball memorabilia. Furthermore, the sale set a new auction record for a piece of game-worn sports memorabilia, which was previously held by Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup jersey.
MJ donned the jersey in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. He finished the game with 33 points. however, they lost the ballgame. It’s only reasonable to assume that if the Bulls had won the game, the price for the historic NBA jersey would have been substantially higher. However, the sale was sufficient to make MJ’s jersey the most expensive basketball jersey ever.
Michael Jordan‘s heroics in the docuseries “The Last Dance” undoubtedly contributed to his 1998 NBA Finals jersey fetching such a high price. Interestingly, before MJ’s jersey took over as the most expensive basketball jersey ever, one of Kobe Bryant‘s jerseys held the record. Kobe Bryant’s rookie year jersey sold for $3.69 million in May 2021. The Los Angeles Lakers great wore the #8 jersey in two regular season games. Goldin Auctions staged a special “Hall of Fame” auction honoring the NBA legend, who tragically passed away in January 2020.
Interestingly, Michael Jordan also surpassed one of his own jerseys in the process. However, it was from his college days. His UNC jersey was auctioned off for $1.38M in May 2021. The jersey would have sold for a far greater price if it had been officially verified as game-worn. Another pair of jerseys Jordan’s Bulls jersey surpassed was Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell’s. In December 2021, TD Garden staged a gigantic Bill Russell memorabilia sale with numerous pieces. The highlight of the evening though was his game-worn jersey from his final game. The historic jersey was sold for $1.1 million.
A few months later, another Bill Russell game-worn jersey was auctioned off for a hefty chunk. It was signed by the NBA legend himself this time, and it came with a signed letter of provenance from Russell. It sold for slightly over $1 million.
When the prices paid for the aforementioned jerseys are compared to Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, it speaks volumes about the legend’s influence on the game of basketball and its fans. The price paid for Jordan’s jersey is ridiculously high. But that’s what you have to pay to acquire a collectible from one of the greatest athletes of all time.