Michael Jordan’s Last Dance 1998 Jersey: $10M+ Auction
Sandego.net – A white mesh No. 23 jersey worn by Michael Jordan’s Last Dance 1998 Finals run is about to test the upper limits of sports memorabilia pricing. Listed by online auction house Joopiter under its “Driven to Greatness” sale (September 15–29), the garment carries a projected hammer range of $10 million to $15 million — a figure that, if realized at even the low end, would shatter the existing record for the costliest basketball uniform ever sold.
The lot represents the only publicly documented white game-winning top from that championship series known to exist outside private collections. Joopiter’s global head of sales, Caitlin Donovan, framed the listing in a press release as “an irreplaceable artifact that transcends basketball to become a piece of global cultural history.”
The Night the Jersey Was Worn
The garment was pulled on during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals, a decisive home-court contest against the Utah Jazz in which Jordan delivered a physical, dominant performance that swung momentum irrevocably toward Chicago. That victory set the stage for the Bulls’ sixth title in eight seasons and marked the final chapter of his tenure with the franchise — a narrative later amplified by the 2020 ESPN/Netflix documentary series The Last Dance.
For historians of the sport, the distinction matters: this is not merely another Finals artifact. It is the sole publicly known example of the specific white game-winning configuration from that series, placing it in a category of scarcity that ordinary memorabilia cannot match.
Context in the Record Books
The prior benchmark came in 2022, when a red Jordan uniform from Game 1 of the same Finals — a game the Bulls lost — hammered down at $10.1 million, more than doubling its opening estimate. Before that, a University of North Carolina jersey from Jordan’s sophomore year fetched $1.38 million in 2021, then a college-era record. Across all sports, the overall collectible ceiling belongs to baseball: Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot” jersey from the 1932 World Series sold for $24.12 million in 2024.
Jordan’s gravitational pull on the secondary market remains unmatched among basketball players. Tracking service Gemrate reports that eBay users have poured over $88 million into Jordan playing cards this year alone, a figure that eclipses every other current or former NBA athlete and trails only Shohei Ohtani across all of professional sports.
Whether the final bid lands at the low estimate or surges past the high end, the transaction will reshape the pricing hierarchy for sports artifacts and likely accelerate demand for other items tied to Jordan’s final Chicago season. The market is treating this lot not as a high-end souvenir but as a blue-chip cultural asset comparable in perceived permanence to a major museum acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the auction take place? The “Driven to Greatness” sale runs from September 15 through September 29, 2026, on Joopiter’s online platform.
What is the estimated price range? Joopiter has set a projected hammer between $10 million and $15 million. Clearing even the low end would set a new record for a basketball jersey at auction.
Why is this jersey considered unique? Joopiter states it is the only publicly documented white game-winning jersey from the 1998 Finals known to exist outside private vaults, making it a one-of-a-kind artifact rather than a repeatable collectible.
How does it compare to other record-setting sales? It would surpass the $10.1 million paid in 2022 for a red Jordan Finals jersey and the $1.38 million paid in 2021 for a college-era Jordan top. The all-sport record remains Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series jersey at $24.12 million (2024).
