Finding rare Michael Jordan-related collectibles is akin to finding gold. Look no further than the 2007-08 Upper Deck 1-of-1 Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph card of him and Kobe Bryant, which sold for $12,932,000 and is currently the most expensive publicly sold trading card.
Jordan’s lore in the collectibles industry grew further when his game-worn jersey sold for $12,260,000. As Fanatics Connect shared on X, collector Rob Gough sold the historic jersey via the digital platform Joopiter, which was founded by musician/producer Pharrell Williams.
Why historic? It’s not just any Jordan jersey; it’s the one he wore during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Instead, it’s the one he wore during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals. It is the game where Jordan and the Chicago Bulls limited the Utah Jazz to 54 points and established the largest winning margin in NBA Finals history (42 points).
Jordan led all scorers in that game with 24 points. More importantly, it helped the Bulls inch closer to their sixth NBA championship, which they eventually won in six games, thanks to Jordan’s “Last Shot.”
This Jordan jersey from the Bulls’ “Last Dance” is the second most expensive sports jersey sold in history. That record belongs to the 1932 World Series Babe Ruth jersey, which was sold in August 2024 for a whopping $24.12 million.
Padding its price is the belief that it was the jersey Ruth wore when he made his “called shot” in Game 3 of the series against the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees swept the Cubs in that series, 4-0.
However, the recently sold Michael Jordan jersey costs more than his 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey, which was purchased in September 2022 for $10.091 million. Likewise, Joopiter is also selling a 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello that Jordan previously owned.
Sports Collectibles Advisor Raises Concern over Michael Jordan Jersey Sale
While the collectibles industry is buzzing about this monumental Jordan jersey sale, Will Stern is sounding the alarm that some industry players may be gaming the system.
“For those unfamiliar, an irrevocable bid is a type of guaranteed bid auction houses arrange with third parties. In return for placing the bid, the irrevocable bidder receives a cut of the upside if the item gets bid higher,” Stern posted on X. “If there are no other bids, they end up with the item. It’s a bit controversial, especially in sports where it is relatively new.”
He continued his argument, saying that such bids do not create true competition and that the winning bid could be a calculated move to the potential upside. He also added that it is not an ideal measurement of the true demand for a collectible.
“Whereas a normal bidder is purely weighing how much they are willing to pay to own the item, an irrevocable bidder is weighing that PLUS the potential upside if they lose,” Stern closed.
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