- Title: Michael Jordan's game-worn jersey goes for $4.68M in NYC auction
- Date: 5th November 2024
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 16, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MICHAEL JORDAN'S JERSEY FROM 1996-96 NBA SEASON ON DISPLAY AT SOTHEBY'S AUCTION HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S, SPORTS SPECIALIST, BRENDAN HAWKES, SAYING: "So, I'm sitting in front of Colossal (Sotheby’s Colossal - The Ultimate Jordan Collection auction), which is a Michael Jordan jersey from the 96-97 NBA season. It's one of the most extensively worn Michael Jordan jerseys ever to come to market. It was worn sort of during the peak of Michael Jordan's power, so worn right after the movie 'Space Jam' came out. So, he was at the peak of his fame. And it was worn for five months. So, nothing like this is ever coming to market. It's the only jersey from his first five championships in red that has ever come to auction. So, it's a very special jersey. We like to call it a unicorn, and its estimate is $4 to $6 million." VARIOUS OF MICHAEL JORDAN'S JERSEY ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S, SPORTS SPECIALIST, BRENDAN HAWKES, SAYING: "He was at the peak of his fame. And this was really one of the most popular items of clothing in the entire world at the time. You could see, you know, children walking around with the red Michael Jordan jersey, the championship logo. And it was from the [NBA's] 50th anniversary season. So, you can see on the jersey that there is a gold emblem on it, which is one of the only instances of this happening ever with NBA jersey. So, it's a very special jersey. It's one of a kind. And it's estimated to go for $4 to $6 million at the end of the month." VARIOUS OF MICHAEL JORDAN'S JERSEY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S, SPORTS SPECIALIST, BRENDAN HAWKES, SAYING: "This is also an incredibly rare artifact. So, no red Jersey from the first five championship seasons of Michael Jordan has ever come to market. So, it's an incredibly rare piece. And it's also been extensively used, which collectors love, right? So, it was used for 17 games. After the season, Michael Jordan usually switched jerseys every single game. So, this is sort of one of the last of its kind in that he used this for five months. So, it was essentially half of the season, which is also an incredibly rare characteristic for a jersey like this."
- Embargoed: 19th November 2024 00:48
- Keywords: Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan Sotheby's jersey
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,North America
- Reuters ID: LVA001717005112024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Michael Jordan’s game-worn red jersey from the 1996-1997 basketball championship season with the Chicago Bulls sold for $4.68 million at Sotheby’s in New York on Monday (November 4) as part of the 'Colossal - The Ultimate Jordan Collection' auction.
Sotheby's sports specialist Brendan Hawkes had expected the "unicorn" item to sell from anywhere between $4 to $6 million before it was put up for auction in October.
Jordan wore the jersey during at least 17 games, most notably, the game on 12 March 1997 when then-rookie Allen Iverson crossed over Jordan, creating an iconic highlight in basketball lore, according to Hawkes.
Most of the time, Jordan would use a jersey for just one game.
In addition to the red jersey, Sotheby's also auctioned five other Michael Jordan "relics," including two white Chicago Bulls jerseys, a flag that the player wore when he received his gold medal in the 1992 Olympics, and a warm-up top and sneakers from his days at the University of North Carolina.
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