Michael Jordan's 1998 Finals Jersey Sells for Record $14 Million

A game-worn and autographed Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $14 million in a private sale, establishing a new record for the most expensive piece of basketball memorabilia.

Miami investor Ron Firman is the buyer of the red Chicago Bulls jersey, which Hunt Auctions announced on Monday. The jersey was worn by Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998, a game that saw the Bulls even the series at 1-1 on their way to their sixth championship in eight seasons.

According to Hunt Auctions president David Hunt, the sale elevates Jordan's memorabilia to an "elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art." The $14 million price tag makes it the second-highest price ever paid for a game-worn jersey across all sports, surpassed only by Babe Ruth's 1932 World Series jersey, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024.

This marks the third Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals to sell for more than $10 million. His Game 1 jersey sold for approximately $10.1 million in 2022, and his Game 3 jersey fetched roughly $12.3 million recently. In total, three jerseys from that single championship series have now sold for over $36 million.

Firman, the new owner, expressed his excitement, stating, "Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player who is admired around the world. I'm very excited about the purchase."

The jersey was initially bought from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003 and has changed hands only once since then. The continued high demand for Jordan's memorabilia is also evident in other sales, such as a pair of Air Jordans worn by MJ during Game 2 of the 1998 Finals, which sold for $2.2 million in 2023.