Michael Jordan game-worn rookie Bulls jersey sells for surprise fee at auction
Michael Jordan’s game-worn jersey has sold at auction for an eye-watering price.
The Chicago Bulls jersey worn during Michael Jordan’s rookie season in the NBA has sold at auction by Sotheby’s, with the garment going for over $4 million.
What is now the fifth-priciest jersey in NBA history, it is believed to be the only surviving jersey of Jordan’s from his debut season in the top tier of elite American basketball.
By the end of the auction, the bids had risen to $4.215 million, which was the final price for which the jersey was sold. Sotheby’s said a private collector made the winning bid.
Top 5 most expensive NBA jersey auction sales ever
- Michael Jordan's "Last Dance" jersey | $10.091 million
- Kobe Bryant's MVP game-worn and signed Lakers jersey | 2007-08 | $5.85 million
- Wilt Chamberlain's NBA Finals Game 5 championship-clinching Lakers jersey | 1972 | $4.9 million
- Michael Jordan's jersey worn in 17 games | 1996-97 | $4.7 million
- Michael Jordan's Rookie season jersey | 1984-85 | $4.2 million
Forensic analysis was used, along with photographic evidence, to determine whether or not the jersey was in fact the one it was thought to be. MeiGray, the online auction house that works in the business of authenticating sporting memoribilia, said that it believes that, given the evidence, this is the first jersey Jordan ever wore while playing in the NBA.
In their research, MeiGray managed to photo-match the jersey to a game on Oct. 13, 1984, Jordan’s fourth in the NBA. Sports Investors Authenticated also did the groundwork, and ended up photo-matching the jersey to Oct. 7, 1984, when Jordan played only his second game.
Sotheby’s revealed that the jersey was able to be authenticated in this unequivocal way was because it appeared that previous players had worn the jersey before Jordan eventually got his hands on the now-famous number 23. The auction house said that they found dark marks underneath both the name “Jordan” and the 23 where it can be seen that other players’ names and numbers were previously printed on, fitting their theory and authenticating the jersey, allowing it to be so for such a high price.
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The NBA themselves wrote that "Jordan switched jerseys for his regular-season debut and for the rest of the 1984-85 season." The last time this Jordan jersey was sold was back in 2009, when it was sold by Grey Flannel Auctions for $66,000.
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