THE APEX TIMES
Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Finals jersey sets record at $14 million auction
A game-worn, autographed Michael Jordan road jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals sold for a record eight-figure price, according to auction house Hunt Auctions, underscoring how Jordan-era memorabilia continues to define the collectibles market.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals wardrobe is now the most expensive single piece of basketball memorabilia ever sold. A game-worn, autographed jersey associated with Jordan’s Bulls title run that season sold this week for $14 million in a private treaty sale arranged through Hunt Auctions, the Pennsylvania-based auction company announced Monday.
The specific item tied to the auction is a Bulls road jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals, identified in the auction listing coverage as Jordan’s Game Two uniform from that series. It is the centerpiece of the record-setting sale, described as both game-worn and autographed, two traits that often drive demand for elite athlete memorabilia.
Hunt Auctions said the $14 million price is a world record for any basketball memorabilia item. The sale was also characterized as the second-highest price ever paid for a sports jersey of any type, a position that places the transaction among the highest echelons of sports collectibles regardless of sport or league.
The 1998 Bulls are a natural magnet for collectors. Jordan’s final NBA championship with Chicago, coming during that Finals run, gives jerseys from the era an added layer of narrative importance, beyond the jersey itself. For collectors, the combination of a specific championship season and an identifiable game can matter as much as the athlete name printed on the garment.
Memorabilia values tend to rise when the provenance is clear, the item’s game is identifiable, and the autograph and game-worn status are well documented. In this case, the auction coverage highlights both the autograph and game-worn nature of the jersey, plus the connection to a particular Finals game, which helps explain why the sale reached the highest tier of the market.
While the $14 million figure is now the benchmark, the transaction also reflects how quickly the Jordan brand has continued to operate as a long-term asset in sports culture. Jordan-era game gear remains widely collected, and record prices can reset expectations for future high-end sales, especially when an item is tied to a single iconic postseason moment.
Going forward, collectors and auction-watchers will likely track whether this sale establishes a new ceiling for basketball memorabilia or whether future items tied to other Jordan Finals games can challenge the $14 million mark. For now, the record stands as the clearest headline: one jersey, one championship era, and a price that indicates enduring demand.
Why It Matters
- Record-setting memorabilia sales can reshape how collectors value provenance, game identification, and authentication in the sports collectibles market.
- A Jordan-linked Finals item reaching $14 million reinforces the durability of Jordan-era branding and postseason history in sports culture.
- High-end transactions can influence expectations for future auctions of championship-era uniforms, particularly for elite athletes whose memorabilia already sets market benchmarks.
- The sale highlights how single-game specificity (for example, a particular Finals game) can materially affect value in collector-driven pricing.
Key Facts
- Hunt Auctions said a game-worn, autographed Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $14 million.
- The jersey was identified as Jordan’s Bulls road uniform from Game Two of the 1998 Finals.
- Hunt Auctions described the $14 million price as a world record for any basketball memorabilia item.
- The auction company also said the sale is the second-highest price ever paid for a sports jersey of any type.
- The sale was conducted as a private treaty transaction, according to Hunt Auctions.
- The record announcement was reported by Yahoo Sports on Oct. 12, 2026.