Michael Jordan Last Dance jersey sells for record $20m

In short:

Michael Jordan's jersey from the second game of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for a record price.

It is the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia, and according to the auction house, the newly sold Jordan jersey ranks as the second-largest sale in history among game-worn sports jerseys.

The 1998 Finals was Jordan's last, and was featured on the popular Last Dance documentary.

The jersey Michael Jordan wore during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals, featured in the Last Dance documentary, has sold for a record $US14 million ($20 million).

Hunt Auctions announced yesterday that the game-worn, autographed Chicago Bulls jersey was purchased by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale.

It is the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia, and according to the auction house, the newly sold Jordan jersey ranks as the second-largest sale in history among game-worn sports jerseys.

The New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series — during which Ruth called his shot ahead of a home run — went for $US24.12 million in 2024.

Jordan and the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz in six games to win the 1998 championship, the sixth and final title of his career in Chicago.

Game 2, played on June 5, 1998, in Salt Lake City, saw Chicago even the series 1-1 in large part due to a dominant performance from its superstar guard.

Jordan put up 37 points, five rebounds, and three assists in a 93-88 victory. He would go on to collect his sixth and final Finals MVP award, two more than anyone else in NBA history, nine days later.

The wildly popular Last Dance documentary, released in 2020, was centred around that 1997-98 Bulls season.

"The record-setting price achieved for the related Michael Jordan jersey is yet another corroborative result as to the significance of Jordan within the industry and popular culture. This remarkable garment bore witness to one of Jordan's most hallowed NBA Finals appearances as part of his 'Last Dance' season to complete his illustrious career," David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement.

"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. We are very pleased to have been able to facilitate this historic sale which serves as another benchmark for our industry."

The previous record for a basketball memorabilia item was $US12.26 million for the home jersey worn by Jordan in Game 3 of the 1998 Finals, which was sold via auction in September.

Reuters

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