Written by Jack Guy, CNN
Contributors Oscar Holland
A jersey worn by basketball star Michael Jordan during one of the most famous seasons in his NBA career sold for a record $10.1 million at a New York auction Thursday.
The eight-figure sum was more than double initial estimates, setting a new auction record for a piece of game-worn sports memorabilia, according to Sotheby’s, which organized the sale.
Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, the culmination of a famous season known as “The Last Dance” that featured in a 2020 ESPN and Netflix documentary series of the same name. On June 3, 1998 Jordan pulled on the jersey for a game against the Utah Jazz, scoring 33 points in 45 minutes in a Bulls loss.
it’s one of only two of his jerseys worn in a finals game to ever appear at auction, said Sotheby’s, which billed it as “one of the most significant items from Michael Jordan’s career.”
In a statement, Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, said the sale “solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT (greatest of all time), proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago.“
Prior to the sale, Wachter had called the 1997-1998 season “perhaps one of the most popular among Jordan fans, as Michael was reaching the height of his abilities while simultaneously pursuing what he understood would be his last chance at an NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls.”
