Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Michael Jordan’s game-worn Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $12.26 million, setting a new auction record for an NBA game-worn jersey and breaking the previous record held by another Jordan jersey from the same Finals series.
The white No. 23 jersey, worn by Jordan during the Bulls’ championship-winning 1997-98 season, was sold through JOOPITER, the digital auction house founded by Pharrell Williams.
The sale took place on September 29 and included the buyer’s premium. The buyer was not publicly identified in the reports reviewed by Weng Global.
The result surpasses the $10.091 million paid in 2022 for Jordan’s red Game 1 jersey from the same 1998 NBA Finals, establishing a new public auction record for an NBA jersey.
Jersey Worn During Historic 1998 Finals Game
Jordan wore the jersey on June 7, 1998, when the Chicago Bulls faced the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago.
The Finals were tied 1-1 when the teams arrived in Chicago. Jordan scored 24 points, alongside three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, as the Bulls defeated the Jazz 96-54.
The 42-point victory remains the largest margin in NBA Finals history, while Utah’s 54 points remain the fewest scored by a team in an NBA Finals game.
The victory gave Chicago a 2-1 lead in the series and helped set the Bulls on their way to another championship.
Chicago eventually defeated Utah 4-2, giving the Bulls their sixth NBA championship and Jordan his sixth title with the franchise. Jordan was also named Finals Most Valuable Player for the sixth time.
The Final Championship Season
The 1997-98 campaign was Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls and became widely known as “The Last Dance.”
The season marked the end of Chicago’s dominant run during the 1990s. The Bulls had won six championships across eight seasons, with Jordan playing a central role in all six title campaigns.
The 1998 championship was particularly significant because it was the Bulls’ third consecutive title and Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship with Chicago.
The season later became the subject of the 2020 documentary series The Last Dance, which brought renewed international attention to Jordan, the Bulls and their final championship run.
Why the Jersey Is So Valuable
The auction value reflects a combination of the jersey’s provenance, rarity and connection to one of the most important periods in NBA history.
JOOPITER described the item as the only publicly known white game-winning jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals to have been offered for sale. The jersey also carries the 1998 NBA Finals championship patch.
According to JOOPITER, the jersey is accompanied by a MeiGray photomatching certificate and a letter of provenance from Bill Thoma.
The auction house estimated the jersey would sell for between $10 million and $15 million.
Sports Collectors Daily reported that the auction closed with a $10 million hammer price and $2.26 million in buyer’s fees, producing the final $12.26 million result. It reported that only one irrevocable bid was entered and that there was no higher competing bid.
Jordan Breaks His Own Auction Record
The latest sale is not Jordan’s first eight-figure result in the sports memorabilia market.
In September 2022, Sotheby’s sold the red Chicago Bulls jersey Jordan wore during Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals for $10.091 million.
That jersey had previously represented the highest public auction price for a Jordan game-worn jersey.
The new Game 3 sale therefore increased Jordan’s own record by more than $2 million.
The two jerseys also came from the same historic championship series, making the development particularly notable in the sports memorabilia market.
A Record for NBA Jerseys, But Not All Sports Memorabilia
Although the $12.26 million sale is a record for an NBA game-worn jersey, it is not the highest price ever paid for a game-worn sports jersey.
That distinction belongs to Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series jersey, which sold for approximately $24.12 million in 2024.
The Ruth jersey was associated with one of the most famous moments in baseball history and remains above Jordan’s latest result in the broader sports memorabilia market.
Jordan’s sale nevertheless places another NBA item firmly among the most valuable game-worn sports artefacts ever sold publicly.
Continued Demand for Jordan Memorabilia
The record sale also demonstrates the continued demand for memorabilia associated with Jordan’s career.
Jordan remains one of the most recognisable figures in global basketball, and objects connected to his championship years have continued to attract major interest from collectors.
The 1998 Finals have particular significance because they represent the final championship campaign of Jordan’s first Chicago Bulls career.
JOOPITER’s auction description emphasised the cultural significance of the 1997-98 season, while Reuters reported that the latest result broke the previous record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia.
The continued value of such items is also linked to the rarity of authenticated game-worn memorabilia. A jersey worn during a specific, historically significant Finals game carries a substantially different provenance from ordinary sports merchandise.
What Happens Next
The identity of the buyer has not been publicly disclosed.
The sale now establishes $12.26 million as the latest public auction benchmark for a game-worn NBA jersey, surpassing Jordan’s own previous record.
For collectors and sports memorabilia historians, the jersey’s connection to Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals gives it a documented place in one of basketball’s most significant championship campaigns.
Nearly three decades after Jordan wore it during the Bulls’ 96-54 victory over Utah, the jersey has become a record-setting sports artefact — further demonstrating the enduring commercial and cultural significance of Jordan’s final championship season in Chicago.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Reuters — Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ jersey sells for record $12.26M
- JOOPITER — Michael Jordan ‘The Last Dance’ Game-Worn 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 Jersey
- Sports Collectors Daily — Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals Game 3 Jersey Sells for Record $12.26 Million
- CBS Chicago — Michael Jordan jersey from 1998 NBA Finals sells at auction for $12.26 million
- Punch — Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ jersey sells for record $12.3m
