Anything related to Michael Jordan is worth a lot. Thus, an autographed away jersey of “Air,” which he wore himself in the 1998 NBA Finals, sold for $14 million, as the auction house announced on Monday, calling it the most expensive basketball memorabilia item ever sold.
Hunt Auctions, based in Pennsylvania, announced that the buyer was Miami real estate investor Ron Firman. This is the red jersey Jordan wore in the second game of that series, on June 5, 1998, when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz (86–87), tying the series at 1–1. The Bulls’ leader scored 45 points in that game!
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Jordan and the Bulls won the championship 4-2, celebrating the sixth and final title of Jordan’s career. The 1997–98 season was the subject of the 10-episode documentary series “The Last Dance,” which premiered in 2020.
“Although Michael Jordan’s significance in the sports memorabilia market has long been established, his value has now been elevated to that of a high-end asset, typically reserved for iconic works of art,” said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions. “We are particularly pleased to have facilitated this historic sale, which marks yet another milestone for our industry.”
The $14 million figure represents the second-highest known price for a game-worn jersey, second only to the $24.12 million paid in 2024 for the jersey of baseball legend Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees, who was wearing it when he hit the famous “called shot” home run against the Chicago Cubs during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series.
This is at least the third time a Jordan jersey from the 1998 Finals has sold for at least $10 million. A jersey from Game 1 was sold at auction for approximately $10.1 million in 2022, while a jersey from Game 3 was auctioned off last month for approximately $12.3 million.
Anything related to the 1998 Finals and Jordan’s final season with the Bulls generates enormous interest among collectors. In 2023, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers—which he wore in Game 2 against the Jazz—was sold by Sotheby’s for $2.2 million — a feat described at the time as “a new world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold.”
*photo source: AP
