According to auction house Sotheby's, the famous US basketball player Michael Jordan's Game 1 jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals set a record for the highest price ever paid for a piece of game-used sports memorabilia.
Sotheby's said in a statement on Thursday that the red, number-23 jersey from Jordan's "Last Dance" season with the Chicago Bulls drew 20 different bids, more than doubling its $5m estimate.The jersey is the most expensive piece of Jordan memorabilia ever sold, and the sale also establishes a new record for a basketball jersey sold at auction.
The star firmly established his status as the greatest basketball player of all time during what is undoubtedly the most recognized season of his renowned and illustrious career while wearing the historic jersey, according to Sotheby's.
The jersey is one of just two of Jordan's NBA Finals jerseys that have ever been offered for auction, according to the auction house.The Last Dance, a 2020 ESPN/Netflix documentary that chronicled the Chicago Bulls' quest for an unprecedented sixth NBA championship in eight seasons, reignited interest in Jordan's 1998 campaign.The most watched NBA Finals series ever featured the Bulls versus the Utah Jazz, headed by Karl Malone and John Stockton. It took place in 1998.Additionally, it is seen as a testament to Jordan's abilities as a rival, a sportsman, and a teammate.
According to Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and modern collectibles at Sotheby's, "today's record-breaking result, with an astounding 20 bids, solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT [Greatest of All Time], proving his name and incomparable legacy are just as relevant today as they were more than 25 years ago."Game 1
The Chicago Bulls traveled to Utah on June 3, 1998, for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The ESPN/Netflix documentary demonstrated that the home crowd was hostile against the squad, but Jordan didn't seem to be bothered by it. He may be seen dancing on the Bulls bus to R&B singer Kenny Lattimore in a now-famous moment.Jordan played 45 minutes in Game 1, which the Bulls lost by three points, the most of any game in the championships, according to Sotheby's. Additionally, he scored 33 points to support the game's overtime period.
The Bulls went on to win their sixth NBA title that year, and Jordan won his sixth NBA Finals MVP award.An autographed relic card from the 1997–1998 season set the previous record for any piece of Jordan's sports memorabilia when it sold for $2.7 million, according to Sotheby's.
The previous record for a basketball jersey belonged to Kobe Bryant's game-used, autographed jersey from the 1996-1997 season, which sold for $3.7 million.
Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" jersey, which sold for $9.3 million earlier this year, had previously held the record for any game-used sports memorabilia until Jordan's jersey broke it on Thursday, according to Sotheby's.
The auction firm has recently branched out into the sneaker and sports memorabilia markets.
The most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold at auction presently belongs to Sotheby's, where Michael Jordan's oldest known pair of game-used Nikes from the regular season went for $1.5 million last year.
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