The jersey worn by Michael Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold for a record $14 million. Hunt Auctions announced on Monday that the autographed Chicago Bulls jersey was purchased by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale. This sale marks the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia and is noted as the second-highest sale of a game-worn sports jersey in history.
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The record currently belongs to a New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024. In the 1998 Finals, Jordan led the Bulls to a championship victory against the Utah Jazz, securing his sixth and final title with the team. Game 2, held on June 5, 1998, in Salt Lake City, saw Jordan score 37 points, contributing to a 93-88 win that evened the series at 1-1.
Jordan went on to receive his sixth Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, the most in NBA history. The acclaimed documentary “The Last Dance,” released in 2020, focused on the 1997-98 Bulls season. David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, commented on the sale, emphasizing Jordan's significant presence in both sports and popular culture. He noted that the sale of the jersey reflects Jordan’s status as an elite asset in the memorabilia market.
This is now the third time a jersey from Jordan's 1998 Finals has sold for over $10 million, with a Game 1 jersey fetching approximately $10.1 million in 2022 and a Game 3 jersey sold last month for about $12.3 million. Firman expressed his excitement over the acquisition, highlighting Jordan's global admiration. The jersey was originally acquired from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003 and has changed hands only once since then. In addition, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers worn in Game 2 was sold for $2.2 million in 2023, setting a world record for sneakers.