You could probably guess that the last game jersey Michael Jordan wore in his career would be worth a lot of money. But you might not have guessed that it would sell for as much as $10.1 million, which is how much MJ’s Last Dance jersey sold for on April 25, 2017 at an auction in New York City conducted by Heritage Auctions. The name of the buyer remains unknown, but no matter who she or he was, they came away with one of the rarest sports memorabilia items in existence, especially since this was the last time Jordan put on his famous No.
A Michael Jordan jersey from the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $10.1 million, shattering the previous record for game-worn sports memorabilia.
The jersey surpasses an autographed card that went for $2.7 million to become the most expensive Jordan item ever to be sold. Sotheby’s had anticipated a winning bid of up to $5 million, but 20 offers caused the price to quadruple that prediction.
The voyage was documented in the well-known TV series “The Last Dance,” and Jordan wore the jersey while playing for the Chicago Bulls as they won their sixth NBA championship. The 1998 NBA Finals were the most watched in history at the time because people from all over the world tuned in to see the star’s final run alongside players like Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Steve Kerr.
Despite Jordan scoring 33 points in the game that featured this $10.1 million jersey, the Bulls were defeated by the Utah Jazz. The Bulls wore their well-known red away jerseys for the Utah matchup. In the end, the Jordan-led squad won the series 4-2, and Jordan won his sixth NBA Finals MVP award.
Diego Maradona’s shirt from the infamous “Hand of God” World Cup goal against England earlier this year went for $9.3 million at auction.
When Sotheby’s announced the sale of Jordan’s jersey on Thursday, they mentioned “a new generation of collectors.” The New York-based auction company has worked to modernise, offering NFT auctions in addition to tangible artefacts, and even boasting its own metaverse site.
