A jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold for a staggering USD 14 million in a private transaction, setting a new record for the highest price paid for basketball memorabilia.
Pennsylvania-based Hunt Auctions confirmed the historic sale on Monday, revealing that Miami real estate investor Ron Firman purchased the autographed red Chicago Bulls road jersey.
The jersey was worn by Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz on June 5. The Bulls won that contest to level the series at 1-1 before eventually claiming the championship in six games.
That victory marked Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship with Chicago, bringing an unforgettable chapter of his illustrious career to a close.
The 1997-98 Bulls season later became the focus of the popular 10-part documentary series The Last Dance, released in 2020.
Jordan Memorabilia Reaches New Heights
The USD 14 million transaction makes the jersey the second-most expensive known game-worn jersey across sports.
The record remains with baseball icon Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey from the 1932 World Series, which fetched USD 24.12 million in 2024. Ruth wore that jersey during his famous “called shot” home run against the Chicago Cubs.
Jordan’s 1998 Finals jerseys have repeatedly attracted enormous sums from collectors.
A Game 1 jersey sold for approximately USD 10.1 million in 2022, while another worn during Game 3 fetched around USD 12.3 million at auction last month.
David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, highlighted the growing financial significance of Jordan collectibles.
“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,” Hunt said.
“We are very pleased to have been able to facilitate this historic sale which serves as another benchmark for our industry.”
Buyer Celebrates Historic Purchase
Firman expressed his excitement after acquiring the valuable piece of basketball history.
“Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player who is admired around the world.” Firman said in a news release distributed by the auction house. “I’m very excited about the purchase.”
According to Hunt Auctions, the jersey was initially purchased from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003 and subsequently changed hands only once before the latest sale.
Jordan’s memorabilia continues to command remarkable prices. In 2023, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers worn during Game 2 of the same Finals sold through Sotheby’s for USD 2.2 million, establishing what was then described as a world record for sneakers.
The latest jersey sale further demonstrates the extraordinary demand for collectibles associated with Jordan’s final championship season in Chicago.
