Michael Jordan 'Last Dance' 1998 NBA Finals jersey sells for record price at auction

Back in the spring of 2020 when many were stuck at home during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN debuted "The Last Dance" docuseries about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team that won the franchise's sixth and, to date, most recent NBA championship. 

That work continues to generate headlines over two years later. 

Per TMZ Sports and Dan Hajducky of ESPN, a jersey Jordan wore in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals went up for auction on Sept. 6 via Sotheby's and sold for $10.091 million. That's a new record for money spent on any sports memorabilia and eclipsed the old mark of $9.28 million that somebody paid this past May to land the shirt footballing legend Diego Maradona wore for the infamous "Hand of God" game during the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectables, explained in a statement that "Finals jerseys from Jordan are remarkably scant and the [1998] Finals are arguably the most coveted of them all" as it pertains to memorabilia. 

"In the weeks since we announced the auction, there's been palpable excitement from not only sports fans, but collectors alike who are eager to own a rarified piece of history," Wachter added. "[The] record-breaking result, with an astounding 20 bids, solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed G.O.A.T., proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago."

Interestingly, Jordan and the Bulls lost Game 1 of that Finals 88-85 before "His Airness" and company rallied back to win the series in six games. The buyer of the jersey remains publicly unidentified at this time, but needless to say that person isn't too concerned about the contest's final score.