A Michael Jordan jersey, worn during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals, is currently up for auction through Joopiter, the auction house founded by Pharrell Williams. This particular white mesh top, emblazoned with Jordan’s number 23, is the only publicly known white game-worn jersey from the 1998 Finals to be made available for sale. It comes from his iconic "Last Dance" season with the Chicago Bulls, a period widely recognized as a significant chapter in sports history. The jersey was worn during a pivotal game where the Bulls dominated the Utah Jazz 96-54, taking a 2-1 series lead, with Jordan scoring 24 points.
The auction, which began on September 15 and runs until September 29, has already seen significant activity. Within the first day, a bid of $10 million was placed, which translates to over $12 million when including Joopiter’s buyer’s premium. The pre-sale estimate for the jersey is between $10 million and $15 million, and it is widely expected to surpass the previous record for a basketball jersey, which was $10.1 million for Jordan's Game 1 jersey from the same series. Some predictions even suggested it could reach $100 million.
The jersey was consigned to Joopiter by actor and memorabilia collector David Gough, who stated that he values items that change the momentum of something and considered this jersey to be from the most important game, making it the most important jersey to own. Gough expressed that it's a privilege to steward such an item and that it's now time to pass it on for someone else to appreciate. The jersey has been on public display in New York until September 20 and will move to Los Angeles for display at Canon Collectibles from September 23 to 26 before the auction concludes. This sale highlights the escalating market for sports collectibles, with two of Jordan's 1998 Finals game-worn jerseys now collectively valued at over $20 million.
