A game-worn and autographed jersey from Michael Jordan’s rookie season with the Chicago Bulls has sold for $4.215 million at an auction organized by Sotheby’s.
The jersey was photo-matched to a preseason game that Jordan played for the Bulls on October 5, 1984, and several other games during his rookie season. It was already auctioned off in 2009 when it reached the price of $66,000. This is the only jersey from Jordan’s rookie season to become available at an auction to date.
Another interesting thing about the jersey is that it has been repurposed. The Bulls likely took a jersey worn by another player, removed the name and the number of the previous holder, and placed Jordan’s.
With a sale price of $4.215 million, it became the fifth most expensive NBA jersey sold at an auction. The record is held by Jordan’s jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals ($10.1 million), followed by Kobe Bryant’s jersey from the 2007-08 MVP season ($5.85 million), Wilt Chamberlain’s jersey from title-clinching Game 5 of 1972 NBA Finals ($4.9 million), and jersey Jordan wore during the 1996-97 NBA season ($4.7 million).
Sotheby’s also plans to auction off Bryant’s game-worn jersey from his rookie season in April. The jersey, which the late Los Angeles Lakers wore in seven games in 1996-1997, is expected to fetch a price of $10 million.
