NBA legend Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance jersey sold for a whopping $10.1 million.
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One of the most celebrated athletes in American sports history, Michael Jordan, continues to create records. The Bulls legend helped significantly popularize the NBA brand globally, given his ability to draw huge numbers in both ticket sales and viewership.
In 2020, MJ refreshed our memories with his award-winning docuseries The Last Dance, which gave an insight into his Final season with the Bulls while also narrating his milestone journey in the NBA. According to reports, the series averaged an astounding 5.6 million views.
The 10-episode documentary helped today’s generation understand the enigma called Michael Jordan beyond his hot-selling sneakers. While the series heavily focused on the 1997-98 Bulls season, it also dealt with various other aspects, including controversies, rivalries, and personal life.
His Airness continues to create records despite it being almost two decades since he hung his basketball shoes. According to an ESPN report, the Bulls legend’s 1998 Game One Finals jersey got sold for an astounding $10.1 million.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals jersey becomes the highest-paid item in sports mementos.
By achieving this feat, His Airness surpassed the late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, whose ‘Hand of God’ jersey from the 1986 world cup was sold for $9.28 million. According to the auction house Sotheby, the previous record for any MJ collectible was the 1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jersey patch card, which sold for $2.7 million in October 2021.
As per reports, $3-$5 million was the predicted selling price for the Bulls superstar’s 1998 Finals jersey. In a statement issued by Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables Braham Wachter,
“The season itself is his ‘magnum opus’ as an athlete, and a testament to him as a champion and competitor. Finals jerseys from Jordan are remarkably scant and the (1998) Finals are arguably the most coveted of them all.”
The previous record for any other NBA jersey was $3.69 million belonging to the late Kobe Bryant. The said piece of cloth was worn by the Black Mamba in his 1996-97 rookie season.
Addressing the recent sale of MJ’s Last Dance jersey, Wachter said,
“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. The record-breaking result, with an astounding 20 bids, solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT, proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago.”
