CHICAGO — Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $12.3 million (£9.3 million), setting a new record for Jordan memorabilia. The sale at Joopiter, Pharrell Williams' digital auction house, surpassed the previous high for any Jordan item and underlined the lasting market power of his final championship run.
The jersey was worn in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals in his last season with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan helped the Bulls win the series 4-2 for his sixth and final NBA Championship, and he was named Finals' Most Valuable Player in all six. The previous record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million (£7.6 million) for his jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 Finals. The Game 3 jersey was put up for sale by entrepreneur Ryan Gough and carried an estimated price of $10-15 million (£7.5-£11.3 million) at Joopiter.
Joopiter highlighted the significance in its auction posting, saying, "Few objects in the history of sport embody greatness as completely as Michael Jordan's game three jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals." The house added, "Worn during the Last Dance... it marks the culmination of an era that transformed basketball into a global cultural phenomenon," and "Today it stands among the most important game-worn sports artifacts ever to come to market."
The price remains below the overall record for game-worn sports memorabilia. That mark is held by baseball legend Babe Ruth's jersey from when he "called the shot" during the 1932 World Series, which sold for $24.1 million (£18.2 million) in 2024.