A jersey worn by basketball star Michael Jordan during one of the most famous seasons in his NBA career sold for a record $10.1 million at a New York auction Thursday.
Jordan’s jersey was auctioned for $10.1 million making it the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia of all time, passing Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey, which was sold for $9.3 million.
Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, the culmination of a famous season known as “The Last Dance” that featured in a 2020 ESPN and Netflix documentary series of the same name. On June 3, 1998 Jordan pulled on the jersey for a game against the Utah Jazz, scoring 33 points in 45 minutes in a Bulls loss.
The Bulls went on to win the championship despite major internal divisions that had affected their season, with Jordan gaining his sixth NBA winners ring.
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The Chicago Bulls jersey was initially estimated to be sold for $5 million, but after 20 bids, it proved to be an underestimation. Jordan’s “Last Dance” jersey also managed to become the highest auctioned basketball jersey, eclipsing Kobe Bryant’s autographed Los Angeles Lakers jersey, which was auction off for $3.7 million.
Michael Jordan donned the legendary jersey during the 1997-98 NBA season. The season would become known as “The Last Dance” and was covered extensively as the season Jordan infamously felt this was his last real chance at snagging another ring with the Bulls. During this season, Jordan would acquire his sixth NBA championship along with the Finals MVP, solidifying his GOAT status.
