Chicago, United States of America- Michael Jordan’s Nike mesh vest which he wore during the opening match of the 1998 NBA finals has sold at auction for a record-breaking US$10.1 million.
The jersey marked Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship and his record sixth NBA Finals MVP award before he retired for the second time.
According to Sotheby’s, which auctioned the jersey, it is only the second Jordan jersey from the NBA Finals to ever appear at auction.
Another pair of Nike Air Ship trainers, worn during Jordan’s fifth NBA game on 1 November 1984, sold for almost US$1.5 million in October last year but the previous record for any Jordan item was a 1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jersey patch card, with an on-card autograph, which sold for US$2.7 million in October 2021.
“The season itself is his magnum opus as an athlete and a testament to him as a champion and competitor. Finals jerseys from Jordan are remarkably scant and the (1998) Finals are arguably the most coveted of them all.
In the weeks since we announced the auction, there’s been palpable excitement from not only sports fans, but collectors alike who are eager to own a rarified piece of history. (The) record-breaking result, with an astounding 20 bids, solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT, proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables.
The previous record for any NBA jersey was US$3.69 million, paid in May 2021 for one worn by Kobe Bryant during his 1996-97 rookie season.
Before the Diego Maradona jersey, from the late icon’s 1986 World Cup, which auctioned for US$9.28 million in May, the most ever paid for a match/game-worn jersey was US$5.64 million in 2019 for a Babe Ruth jersey, worn circa 1918-1920.
In late August, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card sold for US$12.6 million, the most ever paid for a sports card and the first sports collectible to break the US$10 million threshold.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) entered into a new collective bargaining agreement.
The contract addressed salary, travel, pension and marketing issue rights and was ratified by the overwhelming majority of the NBA referees.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the negotiations. The league has made clear that they value the contributions we make to the game’s integrity, and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship together. We are all excited to start the new season,” read a statement from the NBRA.
The seven-year agreement starts with the 2022-23 season and stretches through to the 2028-29 season.
