Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals Game 2 jersey sells for reported $14m

Michael Jordan’s signed Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold in a private deal for $14 million, Hunt Auctions announced on October 12. The auction house called it a record price for basketball memorabilia, putting another jersey from Jordan’s final championship series above the one sold in September.

Hunt Auctions identified the buyer as Miami real estate investor Ron Firman. The transaction was a private treaty sale arranged by the auction house, rather than a public auction. Its announcement gives the price and buyer but does not set out the contract or payment terms, or say whether the reported figure includes fees.

Which Michael Jordan jersey sold for $14 million?

The item is a red Bulls road jersey that Jordan wore against the Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Chicago won 93-88 and Jordan scored 37 points, according to Hunt Auctions. His signature appears on the jersey, making both its connection to the game and the autograph relevant to the sale.

Hunt Auctions said MeiGray Authentication and SIA Authentication photomatched the jersey to Game 2, while Upper Deck authenticated Jordan’s signature. The auction house said its provenance traces to a collector who bought the jersey directly from the Bulls. It also cited a 2003 letter from Bulls community relations director Jeff Schultz describing the jersey as an exceptional game-worn example.

How the sale compares with other Jordan jerseys

The reported $14 million price exceeds the $12.26 million paid at a September 29 auction for Jordan’s Game 3 jersey from the same Finals, according to Hunt Auctions and the Los Angeles Times. The comparison marks a new high for the basketball memorabilia sales identified by those sources. The Game 2 deal, however, took place privately, so its terms are less visible than those of a public auction.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Jordan’s Game 1 jersey from the 1998 Finals sold for $10.09 million in 2022. With the Game 2 transaction, three jerseys from that series have now fetched more than $10 million apiece. The September Game 3 sale had held the reported Jordan jersey record for less than two weeks before Hunt Auctions announced this deal.

The basketball record is narrower than the record for sports memorabilia overall. The Los Angeles Times reports that Babe Ruth’s jersey from his 1932 ‘called shot’ game sold for $24.12 million in 2024. Hunt Auctions describes the Jordan Game 2 price as the second-highest paid for a game-used jersey in any sport, behind that Ruth sale.

What is known about the private sale

In Hunt Auctions’ announcement, company president David Hunt linked the result to Jordan’s standing in the memorabilia market and popular culture. He also characterized high-end memorabilia as an elite asset class. Those are the seller’s views of the market; the documented development here is the $14 million price the auction house reported for this particular jersey.

Firman said in a statement distributed by Hunt Auctions that he was excited about the purchase and thanked the auction house. The published accounts identify him as the buyer but provide no further terms of the private transaction. Readers can compare the reported price with the two earlier 1998 Finals jersey sales, while the precise payment arrangements remain undisclosed.