Michael Jordan ‘Last Dance’ Game 2 Jersey Sells for Record $14 Million

Less than two weeks after a Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals sold for a record $12.26 million, another uniform from the same championship series has pushed the market even higher. Hunt Auctions has announced the private sale of Michael Jordan’s red Chicago Bulls road jersey from Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals for $14 million. The auction house says the price is a world record for any piece of basketball memorabilia and the second-highest price ever paid for a game-used jersey from any sport.

The record comes immediately after another remarkable result for Jordan memorabilia. On September 29, CollectiblesNews.com reported that Jordan’s white Game 3 jersey from the same 1998 NBA Finals sold for $12.26 million at JOOPITER, establishing what was then the world auction record for an NBA game-worn jersey. That record stood for less than two weeks before the Game 2 road jersey changed hands privately for $14 million.

Jordan wore the red mesh jersey on June 5, 1998, in Game 2 against the Utah Jazz. Chicago entered the game trailing 1-0 in the Finals after losing the opener, but the Bulls responded with a 93-88 victory. Jordan scored 37 points, his second-highest scoring performance of the series behind the 45 points he scored in the championship-clinching Game 6. He would ultimately be named Finals MVP as Chicago captured its sixth championship in eight seasons.

The red road jerseys from that series carry particular significance because Jordan wore red in Games 1, 2 and 6. Game 6 produced one of the defining images of his career, with Jordan wearing the Bulls road uniform when he hit his final shot for Chicago to secure the championship. Hunt Auctions describes red jerseys from the 1998 Finals as “holy grails” among Jordan game-worn uniforms.

The Game 2 jersey also comes with an unusually strong chain of provenance. According to Hunt Auctions, it was originally purchased directly from the Chicago Bulls by a collector and has changed hands only once since. It retains multiple letters documenting its history, including a 2003 letter from longtime Bulls Director of Community Relations Jeff Schultz, who described it as one of the finest game-worn jerseys he had encountered during more than 15 years managing Bulls memorabilia.

“In our opinion, and 36 years of market experience, Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan stand above all others in the history of American sports,” said David Hunt President of Hunt Auctions. “The record setting price achieved for the related Michael Jordan jersey is yet another corroborative result as to the significance of Jordan within the industry and popular culture. This remarkable garment bore witness to one of Jordan’s most hallowed NBA Finals appearances as part of his ‘Last Dance’ season to complete his illustrious career. While Michael Jordan’s importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art. We are very pleased to have been able to facilitate this historic sale which serves as another benchmark for our industry.”

Authentication further ties the jersey directly to the 1998 Finals. MeiGray Authentication and SIA Authentication conclusively photomatched it to Game 2, while Jordan’s autograph on the jersey was authenticated through Upper Deck.

The buyer was sports memorabilia collector Ron Firman, who Hunt Auctions identified as being originally from Rye, New York. Firman said he was excited about acquiring the jersey and thanked Hunt Auctions for facilitating the transaction.

With the Game 2 road jersey now at $14 million and the Game 3 home jersey at $12.26 million, two jerseys worn by Jordan just two days apart during the 1998 NBA Finals have now produced more than $26 million in combined sales.