To cap his illustrious career as the arguably greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan led the Bulls to the 1998 NBA title. After the acclaimed documentary — The Last Dance — detailed much of what Jordan and his Bulls teammates went through en route to their final championship together, the legendary 1998 campaign appears to have grown in notoriety.
That rise seems to have also extended to the sports memorabilia market.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that a jersey worn by Jordan in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold in a Sotheby’s auction for $10.1 million. It’s a new all-time record for any piece of sports memorabilia, exceeding a $9.28 million price paid for the late Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey from the 1986 World Cup.
A record-breaking day. Michael Jordan's iconic 1998 NBA Finals 'The Last Dance' jersey has sold for $10.1 million, setting records for a basketball jersey, any game-worn sports memorabilia, and most valuable #MichaelJordan item ever sold at auction. pic.twitter.com/7t8G98N5pW
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 15, 2022
Notably, it also smashes the previous record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia. The previous record for a Jordan item was a 1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jersey patch card with an autograph that sold for $2.7 million in October 2021. Jordan’s Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz in six games in their 1998 series.
It’s a ridiculously high price, to be sure. But if you’re going to get a collectible from one of the best basketball players ever, it’s somehow almost fitting that you pay one of the highest-ever prices.
