A jersey worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals has become the most expensive piece of basketball memorabilia ever sold, fetching $12.3 million (approximately £9.3 million) at auction.
The garment was worn by Jordan in Game 3 of the championship series against the Utah Jazz, which took place during his final season with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan led the Bulls to a 4-2 series victory, securing his sixth NBA title and earning Finals MVP honors in every game of the series.
The sale surpassed the previous record for Jordan memorabilia, which stood at $10.1 million (£7.6 million) for a jersey from Game 1 of the same 1998 Finals. The new item was offered for sale by entrepreneur Ryan Gough and was auctioned through Joopiter, a digital auction platform founded by musician Pharrell Williams. Joopiter had estimated the jersey’s value between $10 million and $15 million (£7.5 million to £11.3 million).
“Few objects in the history of sport embody greatness as completely as Michael Jordan’s game three jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals,” Joopiter stated in the auction listing. “Worn during the Last Dance… it marks the culmination of an era that transformed basketball into a global cultural phenomenon. Today it stands among the most important game-worn sports artifacts ever to come to market.”
The overall record for game-worn sports memorabilia remains held by a Babe Ruth jersey from the 1932 World Series, famously associated with his “called shot” home run, which sold for $24.1 million (£18.2 million) in 2024.
I never thought I’d see a Jordan jersey sell for that much. The Last Dance documentary clearly drove serious hype and investment interest.
Does this make it the second most expensive game-worn item ever? Babe Ruth still holds the crown at twenty-four million, right?
Twelve million for a sweaty shirt? Madness. People have lost their minds over sports collectibles lately.