A Florida real estate investor paid 14 million US dollars (approximately 12.55 million euros) for the red Chicago Bulls jersey that basketball superstar Michael Jordan wore during the second game of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, according to the United States-based auction house Hunt. reported that the sale, recorded in October, eclipses the price record for a Michael Jordan jersey set just one month prior.
The 1998 NBA Finals Jersey Sale
The transaction establishes a new high-water mark for any basketball memorandum ever sold at auction, according to Hunt. The historic red jersey bearing Jordan’s legendary number 23 captures a pivotal chapter of the guard’s career with the Chicago Bulls. During the 1998 championship series against Utah, Jordan played his final season with the franchise—a campaign chronicled extensively in the documentary series “The Last Dance.” noted that between 1991 and 1998, Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, making memorabilia originating from that final title run intensely sought after by collectors.
How the Price Compares to Previous Jordan Auctions
The 14 million dollar price tag surpasses a series of escalating records for Jordan game-worn jerseys from the same era. Just last month, another jersey worn by Jordan during the third game of that same 1998 Finals series against the Utah Jazz sold for 12.26 million US dollars (around 10.8 million euros), according to rp-online.de. Prior to that auction, the benchmark for a Jordan jersey from his final championship season was set in 2022, when the jersey from Game 1 fetched 10.1 million US dollars.
Where the Sale Ranks Among All-Time Sports Memorabilia
While the 14 million dollar sale broke the record for basketball memorabilia, it remains behind the all-time record for any game-worn sports jersey. reported that the overall record belongs to a New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series, which sold in 2024 for 24.12 million US dollars (approximately 21.62 million euros).
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