Michael Jordan 'Last Dance' jersey sells for about $12.3 million, reported as record

A jersey Michael Jordan wore during his "Last Dance" season, his last with the Chicago Bulls, has sold for about $12.3 million.

Two outlets report the sale. Anadolu Agency gives the price as $12.26 million. BBC Sport gives it as $12.3 million (£9.3 million).

Both outlets describe the price as a record. BBC Sport says it is a record for game-worn Jordan memorabilia. Anadolu Agency's headline does not say what kind of record.

The jersey and the sale

According to BBC Sport, Jordan wore the jersey in game three of the 1998 NBA Finals, during his last season with the Bulls. The Bulls won that series 4-2. It was Jordan's sixth and final NBA championship. BBC Sport reports that he was named Finals Most Valuable Player in all six.

According to BBC Sport, entrepreneur Ryan Gough put the jersey up for sale. It sold at Joopiter, which BBC Sport describes as Pharrell Williams' digital auction house. Joopiter had estimated the price at $10-15 million (£7.5-11.3 million), according to BBC Sport.

BBC Sport reports that the previous record for Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million (£7.6 million). That price was paid for his jersey from game one of the 1998 Finals.

The record for any game-worn sports memorabilia is unchanged, according to BBC Sport. It is $24.1 million (£18.2 million). That price was paid in 2024 for the jersey Babe Ruth wore when he "called the shot" during the 1932 World Series.

BBC Sport also reports that Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello sold for $2.7 million (£2 million). That is four times the auction record for that model. The reports do not say whether the car was sold at the same auction or through the same auction house.

What each side says

BBC Sport quoted Joopiter's auction posting as saying: "Few objects in the history of sport embody greatness as completely as Michael Jordan's game three jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals." The posting also said, according to BBC Sport: "Today it stands among the most important game-worn sports artifacts ever to come to market."

The reports do not include any comment from Ryan Gough, Michael Jordan or the buyer.

What is not known

The reports do not identify the buyer. They do not give the date the auction closed. They do not say whether the price includes a buyer's premium or fees. They do not describe how the jersey was authenticated or matched to game three.

The Anadolu Agency item reviewed by Vocemundi consists only of a headline. It does not name its source. All details beyond the sale, the price and its description as a record come from BBC Sport alone.

Analysis

If BBC Sport's account is accurate, the sale raises the top price for game-worn Jordan items above the $10.1 million paid for his game one jersey from the same Finals. That could draw more attention to other items from the 1998 series, although the reports offer no evidence about future prices. Several open questions affect how the figure should be read. It is unclear whether the price includes fees, which can change comparisons with earlier sales. The reports also do not describe how the jersey was authenticated. Further details from Joopiter or other outlets on these points, and on the buyer, would give a fuller picture.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.