sltrib
A Chicago Bulls jersey that Michael Jordan wore during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold through a private transaction for $14 million, Hunt Auctions announced. The sale establishes a new benchmark for the highest known price paid for any piece of basketball memorabilia.
It also ranks as the second most expensive game-used jersey ever sold, trailing only the $24.12 million paid in 2024 for Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series.
The transaction occurred less than two weeks after the jersey Jordan wore in Game 3 of the 1998 Finals fetched $12.26 million at auction. That sale had broken a record previously held by Jordan's Game 1 jersey from the same series, which sold for nearly $10.1 million at auction in 2022.
Unlike the Game 1 and Game 3 jerseys, the Game 2 jersey bears Jordan's autograph, adding to its value.
In Game 2, the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 93-88, with Jordan leading all scorers with 37 points.
"In our opinion, and 36 years of market experience, Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan stand above all others in the history of American sports," said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, in a press release about the sale.
"The record-setting price achieved for the related Michael Jordan jersey is yet another corroborative result as to the significance of Jordan within the (sports memorabilia) industry and popular culture."
"While Michael Jordan's importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art."
According to Hunt, the Game 2 jersey was purchased by sports memorabilia collector Ron Firman, who also recently acquired a 1951 Mickey Mantle photograph used for the image on Mantle's iconic 1952 Topps card for $3 million, a record for a Type 1 photo, through a private sale brokered by Hunt.
The Game 2 jersey was originally bought by a collector directly from the Bulls, Hunt said, and came with documents confirming its authenticity, including a 2003 letter from former Bulls director of community relations Jeff Schultz, in which he wrote, "It is my opinion that this jersey is one of the finest examples of any game-worn jersey I have ever seen in my 15+ years of managing the Chicago Bulls memorabilia."
The jersey has since been photomatched to the game by MeiGray Authentication and SIA Authentication.
The record sales of Jordan's Game 1, 2, and 3 jerseys from the 1998 Finals demonstrate how coveted Jordan memorabilia from that "Last Dance" season—in which he won his sixth and final NBA Championship with the Bulls—has become among high-end collectors.
The jerseys worn by Jordan in Games 4, 5, and 6 of the series have not yet sold publicly, but the black-and-red Air Jordan 13 sneakers he wore in Game 2 sold for $2.2 million in 2023. They remain the most expensive sneakers ever sold publicly.
Most Expensive Game-Worn Jerseys Ever Sold (All Sports)
- Babe Ruth, 1932 World Series New York Yankees jersey — $24.12 million
- Michael Jordan, 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Chicago Bulls jersey — $14.00 million
- Michael Jordan, 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 Chicago Bulls jersey — $12.26 million
- Michael Jordan, 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 Chicago Bulls jersey — $10.09 million
- Diego Maradona, 1986 World Cup quarterfinals Argentina jersey — $9.28 million
Originally reported by sltrib.