hawaiitribune_herald
A Chicago Bulls jersey worn by Michael Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold in a private sale for $14 million, according to Hunt Auctions. The transaction sets a new benchmark for the highest known price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
This sale ranks as the second most expensive game-used jersey ever sold, surpassed only by the $24.12 million paid in 2024 for Babe Ruth's famed 'called shot' jersey from the 1932 World Series.
The record-breaking sale occurred less than two weeks after Jordan's jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 Finals fetched $12.26 million at auction. That auction had broken the previous record held by Jordan's Game 1 jersey from the same series, which sold for nearly $10.1 million in 2022.
What sets the Game 2 jersey apart from its counterparts is Jordan's autograph, which significantly enhances its value.
During Game 2, the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 93-88, with Jordan leading all scorers with 37 points.
David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, commented on the sale in a press release: 'In our opinion, and 36 years of market experience, Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan stand above all others in the history of American sports. 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.'
Hunt further noted that while Jordan's importance in 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.
The Game 2 jersey was purchased by sports memorabilia collector Ron Firman, according to Hunt. Firman also recently acquired a 1951 Mickey Mantle photograph used for Mantle's iconic 1952 Topps card for $3 million, a record for a Type 1 photo, through a private sale brokered by Hunt.
Hunt stated that the Game 2 jersey was originally bought by a collector directly from the Bulls and came with documents confirming its authenticity. These included 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 underscore the immense desirability of Jordan memorabilia from that 'Last Dance' season, in which he secured his sixth and final NBA Championship with the Bulls, among high-end collectors.
While the jerseys worn by Jordan in Games 4, 5, and 6 of the series have not yet been sold publicly, the black-and-red Air Jordan 13 sneakers he wore in Game 2 sold for $2.2 million in 2023 and remain the most expensive sneakers ever sold publicly.
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Originally reported by hawaiitribune_herald.