A jersey worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for £9.3 million ($12.3 million). This has set a new record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia and has topped the previous NBA record of $10.1 million in 2022 for another MJ jersey during those same finals, featuring the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz. The jersey was worn during his famous “Last Dance” final season with the Chicago Bulls. Its estimated value before the sale was between $10 million and $15 million.
It was sold by entrepreneur Ryan Gough via Pharrell Williams's digital auction platform Joopiter within its estimated guide price of £7.5 million to £11.3 million. The most expensive sports team jersey ever sold was Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series. It fetched $24.1 million in 2024. "I've always felt like when I own these things, I'm a steward of a piece of history," the seller Rob Gough said in a video interview just ahead of the auction close.
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"I'll be at home enjoying a quiet evening with the family and taking it all in," Gough said. "It's been a privilege to own this piece of Jordan's history."
The sale exceeded the earlier record for Jordan memorabilia, which had been set by his jersey from Game 1 of the same 1998 Finals series and had sold for £7.6 million ($10.1 million). The £2 million (£2.7 million) price obtained by Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello was four times higher than the previous auction record for that model. Nevertheless, the jersey did not surpass the overall record for game-worn sports memorabilia; the record holder is Babe Ruth's 1932 World Series jersey, which fetched £18.2 million ($24.1 million) in 2024.
