A white mesh jersey worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $12.26 million at auction, setting a new record for any basketball jersey in sports memorabilia history.
The 1998 Finals Context and Rarity
The iconic jersey featuring Jordan’s signature number 23 was worn during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. That series marked the conclusion of Jordan’s career with the Chicago Bulls, a period immortalized as “The Last Dance” and later chronicled in the 2020 documentary series released by ESPN and Netflix. During the Game 3 matchup in front of a home crowd, Jordan delivered a dominant performance that shifted momentum firmly in the Bulls’ favor. The team ultimately secured their sixth championship in eight seasons.
According to the online auction house Joopiter, which hosted the sale, the white jersey is the only known verified example worn by Jordan in a victory during the 1998 Finals. Kaitlyn Donovan, global head of sales at Joopiter, noted prior to the auction that the item transcends typical sports memorabilia to become a piece of global cultural history.
Auction Benchmarks Across Basketball Memorabilia
The $12.26 million final price establishes a benchmark for basketball game-worn jerseys, surpassing the previous record held by another Jordan jersey from the same series. In 2022, a red jersey worn by Jordan during Game 1 of the 1998 Finals fetched 1010万ドル.
Despite these figures, the absolute record for any sports game-worn collectible remains attached to baseball history. A jersey worn by Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series—associated with his legendary called-shot home run—sold for 2412万ドル in 2024.
Trading Card Market Presence
Jordan’s enduring market strength extends well beyond game-worn apparel into trading cards and collectibles. Data tracking from Gemrate indicates that users on eBay spent more than 1億1500万ドル on Jordan trading cards within the year. That sales volume places him ahead of all active and historical NBA players, trailing only Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani across all tracked sports categories on the platform.
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