Jordan shirt fetches record $14 million
The worn and signed shirt from the 1998 NBA Finals was privately sold to an American collector.
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A shirt worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $14 million. According to auction house Hunt Auctions, that is the highest amount ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
It is the red away shirt Jordan wore in the second game of the Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz on 5 June 1998. Hunt Auctions announced on Monday that the shirt was privately sold to Miami property investor Ron Firman.
It was not a public auction. The auction house that facilitated the transaction disclosed the amount. As a result, fewer details are available about the bidding process than in an auction with multiple public bids.
Jordan and the Bulls won that game and ultimately took the Finals 4–2. It was Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship. The documentary series The Last Dance later brought the season back to widespread attention.
The sale highlights the exceptional value of sports memorabilia from the 1990s. Another Jordan shirt from the same Finals fetched approximately $12.3 million last month. His shirt from the first game of the Finals was sold for approximately $10.1 million in 2022.
According to the available reporting, the $14 million amount is not the record for every game-worn sports shirt. The shirt worn by baseball player Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series was sold for $24.12 million in 2024. Within basketball memorabilia, however, the new transaction has been reported as a record.
The market is not driven solely by Jordan’s sporting achievements. Provenance, authenticity, visibility during a historic game and the limited availability of comparable objects also help determine the price. Hunt Auctions says the shirt had changed hands only once since 2003.
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The sale and the amount were announced by the auction house and confirmed by several public sources. The article distinguishes between the basketball record and the general record for game-worn sports shirts.
- confirmed The shirt was sold for $14 million. — NBA.com and AP reporting give the same price. source
- confirmed The shirt was worn during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals. — The sources identify the shirt as the red away shirt from the second game. source
- confirmed Ron Firman is the buyer. — According to AP, Hunt Auctions identified the buyer as a property investor from Miami. source
- confirmed Babe Ruth’s shirt from 1932 fetched $24.12 million. — This comparison figure appears in AP reporting. source
Editor's note
The sale price, the shirt and the buyer were reported by the auction house and picked up by several media outlets. Because it was a private sale, the bids and the full terms of the transaction are not public.Sources
- Michael Jordan jersey sale sets $14 million record for basketball memorabilia — NBA.com
- A Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $14 million — KSL / Associated Press
- Michael Jordan jersey from 1998 NBA Finals sets $14 million record — CBS Chicago / Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „michael jordan”
- AD — „michael jordan”
- de Volkskrant — „michael jordan”