MICHAEL JORDAN JERSEY SELLS FOR RECORD $12.3M AT AUCTION

A jersey worn by Michael Jordan during his final season with the Chicago Bulls has sold for $12.3m (£9.3m), according to Joopiter, the digital auction house founded by Pharrell Williams. The jersey was worn in game three of the 1998 NBA Finals and was put up for sale by entrepreneur Ryan Gough. Joopiter said the sale sets a record for a piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia. The auction house had estimated the jersey would fetch between $10m and $15m (£7.5m-£11.3m).

The 1998 Finals marked Jordan's sixth and final NBA Championship with the Bulls, who beat the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the series often referred to as "The Last Dance". Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player in all six of his championship-winning seasons, according to the auction house. The new sale price surpasses the previous record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia, which stood at $10.1m (£7.6m) for his jersey from game one of the same 1998 series. Joopiter also sold Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello for $2.7m (£2m) in a separate sale, a figure it said was four times the existing auction record for that model of car.

Joopiter described the game three jersey as among the most significant game-worn sporting items to reach the market, saying it reflected an era that helped transform basketball's global profile. The sale does not surpass the overall record for a piece of game-worn sports memorabilia, which is held by a jersey worn by baseball player Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series, sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024. No further sales from the jersey's collection have been announced.