A red jersey that spent more than two decades in a private collection just set a new standard for what basketball history can be worth.
A Michael Jordan jersey worn during the 1998 NBA Finals has sold in a private deal for $14 million, the auction house that arranged the sale announced Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. It called the price the highest ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
Which Michael Jordan jersey sold for $14 million?
The red road jersey is the one Jordan wore in Game 2 of the Finals on June 5, 1998. The Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz that night to even the series at one game each. The jersey is also autographed by Jordan.
Chicago went on to win the series in six games, giving Jordan the sixth and final championship of his Hall of Fame career. That season later became the focus of “The Last Dance,” the documentary series released in 2020.
Who bought the Michael Jordan jersey?
Hunt Auctions, which is based in Pennsylvania, identified the buyer as Miami real estate investor Ron Firman. The deal was completed as a private treaty sale, meaning it was negotiated directly rather than offered at public auction.
Firman said in a statement released by the auction house that he admired Jordan as a talented player beloved around the world and was thrilled with the purchase. The release did not say what he plans to do with the jersey.
The auction house’s president said the sale shows that Michael Jordan items have moved beyond ordinary collectibles into an elite asset class usually associated with famous artwork.
How does this sale compare with other record jerseys?
The price ranks as the second highest known for a jersey worn in a game. The record still belongs to Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024 at auction.
Ruth wore that jersey when he hit his famous called shot home run against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series.
The sale also marks at least the third time a Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 Finals has brought $10 million or more. One from Game 1 sold at auction for about $10.1 million in 2022, and one from Game 3 went for about $12.3 million in September.
Why is this jersey so valuable?
Provenance plays a big part. A private collector bought the jersey directly from the Bulls in 2003, and it has changed hands only once since then, according to the auction house.
That tight chain of ownership gives buyers confidence that the item is authentic, which can drive prices higher in the memorabilia market, where forgeries and disputed items are a constant concern.
The 1998 Finals carry their own weight as well. Interest in Jordan’s last season with Chicago has stayed intense, especially since the documentary aired, and items from that run rank among the most sought after in sports collecting.
Are other Michael Jordan items breaking records too?
Yes. In 2023, Sotheby’s sold a pair of Air Jordan sneakers he wore in Game 2 against the Jazz for $2.2 million. The auction house billed it at the time as a world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold.
With three Michael Jordan jerseys from one championship series now topping $10 million, collectors are watching to see whether a future sale can challenge the Ruth record.
For now, the Game 2 jersey stands, by the auction house’s count, as the most expensive piece of basketball memorabilia on record, and Michael Jordan remains the sport’s most valuable name in the collecting world.
