Michael Jordan's Jersey Breaks Sports Memorabilia Record with $10.1 Million Sale The jersey he wore in the 1998 "Last Dance" finals must smell like victory.
By Sam Silverman Edited by Jessica Thomas
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One of Michael Jordan's "Last Dance" jerseys took its final bow after setting the record for the highest-priced game-worn sports memorabilia to be sold at auction. The No. 23 jersey worn in game one of the Chicago Bulls' iconic 1998 finals run went for $10,091,000 million at Sotheby's, netting an "astounding" 20 bids.
A record-breaking day. Michael Jordan's iconic 1998 NBA Finals 'The Last Dance' jersey has sold for $10.1 million, setting records for a basketball jersey, any game-worn sports memorabilia, and most valuable #MichaelJordan item ever sold at auction. pic.twitter.com/7t8G98N5pW
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 15, 2022
"In the weeks since we announced the auction, there's been palpable excitement from, not only sports fans, but collectors alike who are eager to own a rarified piece of history," Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectibles, told Fox Business. The "record-breaking result," Wachter continued, "solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT, proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago."
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Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" jersey from the 1986 World Cup, which sold for $9.28 million, previously held the record for the highest-priced jersey sold at auction. A Mickey Mantle baseball card sold last month for $12.9 million, the highest price a sports collectible has ever fetched.
This isn't the first time a piece of Jordan memorabilia sold for millions. In October 2021 an autographed upper deck game jersey patch card sold for $2.7 million.
