Michael Jordan’s ‘The Last Dance’ jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals is on display during Game 1 on display during a press preview at Sotheby’s on September 6, 2022 in New York City.
Alexi Rosenfeld | beautiful pictures
A jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan in the first game of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $10.1 million, breaking the record for in-game sports wear.
The jersey is also the most expensive Jordanian ever sold, surpassing a signed card that sold for $2.7 million. Sotheby’s had expected the winning bid to be as high as $5 million, but 20 offers made the price double that estimate.
Jordan wore this shirt on his way to his sixth NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls, a journey chronicled in the hit TV series “The Last Dance.” At the time, the 1998 Finals were the most watched in history, as audiences around the globe tuned in to see the star’s final match with the likes of Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr.
The Bulls lost this $10.1 million jersey match, falling to the Utah Jazz despite Jordan’s 33-point performance. The game took place in Utah and the Bulls wore their iconic red away jersey. The Jordan-led team ended the series 4-2, and Jordan earned his sixth NBA Finals MVP.
Earlier this year, a shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored was controversial “The hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup sold for $9.3 million.
Sotheby’s reports “a new generation of collectors” announced the sale of Jordan’s jerseys on Thursday. In addition to physical collections, the New York-based auction house has pushed for modernization, auctioning NFTs and even boasting its own supermarket location.
