Record Sale of Jordan's 1998 Finals Jersey
Hunt Auctions has announced the private sale of a signed, game-worn Michael Jordan jersey from Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals for $14 million. The buyer is Ron Firman, a well-known sports memorabilia collector from Rye, New York. This transaction sets a new record for any basketball memorabilia and stands as the second-highest price ever paid for a game-used jersey across all sports. The previous basketball record was held by a Jordan home jersey from Game 3 of the same Finals, which sold for $12.26 million at auction on September 29. Another Jordan jersey from Game 1 of that series fetched $10 million.[S1]
The overall record for a game-worn jersey belongs to Babe Ruth's 1932 'Called Shot' jersey, which sold for $24.1 million. Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup 'Hand of God' jersey ranks fourth all-time with a sale of $9.2 million. Jordan's jerseys from the 1998 NBA Finals, the final games of his career, are considered the most coveted items in Jordan memorabilia. He wore the red Bulls jerseys in Games 1, 2, and 6 of the 1998 Finals, and only one had previously been sold at public auction.[S1]
The $14 million jersey was worn during Game 2 of the Bulls' victory over the Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998. In that game, Jordan scored 37 points, second only to his 45-point performance in the championship-clinching Game 6. According to Hunt Auctions, the jersey was originally purchased directly from the Bulls in 2003 and comes with several letters documenting its provenance. In one letter, Bulls Director of Community Relations Jeff Schultz described the jersey as one of the finest examples of any game-worn jersey he had seen in over 15 years of managing the team's memorabilia. The jersey had changed hands only once since 2003 and was photo-matched by MeiGray Authentication and SIA Authentication, and autographed by Jordan through a signing authenticated by Upper Deck.[S1]
Context and Significance of the Sale
Hunt Auctions announced on Monday that Miami real estate investor Ron Firman bought the jersey in a private sale. Jordan wore the red jersey in Game 2 of the 1998 Finals, helping the Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz to even the series at one game apiece. The Bulls went on to win the series in six games, securing Jordan's sixth and final NBA championship. That 1997-98 season was chronicled in the Last Dance documentary series, which became a hit on Netflix in 2020.[S2]
The $14 million price is the second-highest known amount for a game-worn jersey, trailing only the $24.12 million paid in 2024 for the jersey Babe Ruth wore when he hit the 'called shot' home run against the Chicago Cubs during the 1932 World Series. This sale marks at least the third time a Jordan jersey from the 1998 Finals has fetched at least $10 million. A jersey from Game 1 sold at auction for about $10.1 million in 2022, and a jersey from Game 3 was auctioned last month for about $12.3 million.[S2]
The jersey was originally bought from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003, according to Hunt Auctions, and has remained within a succinct chain of custody, having only changed hands once from the original purchaser. Jordan's final season with the Bulls has generated massive interest among collectors. In 2023, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers that he wore in Game 2 against the Jazz was sold by Sotheby's for $2.2 million, touted at the time as a new world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold.[S2]
