Michael Jordan’s jersey sells for $12.3 million, while his Ferrari vanished from public view for 24 years before fetching a record $2.7 million

A jersey worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for £9.3 million ($12.3 million). This has set a new record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia and has topped the previous NBA record of $10.1 million in 2022 for another MJ jersey during those same finals, featuring the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz. The jersey was worn during his famous “Last Dance” final season with the Chicago Bulls. Its estimated value before the sale was between $10 million and $15 million.

It was sold by entrepreneur Ryan Gough via Pharrell Williams's digital auction platform Joopiter within its estimated guide price of £7.5 million to £11.3 million. The most expensive sports team jersey ever sold was Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series. It fetched $24.1 million in 2024. "I've always felt like when I own these things, I'm a steward of a piece of history," the seller Rob Gough said in a video interview just ahead of the auction close.

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"I'll be at home enjoying a quiet evening with the family and taking it all in," Gough said. "It's been a privilege to own this piece of Jordan's history."

The sale exceeded the earlier record for Jordan memorabilia, which had been set by his jersey from Game 1 of the same 1998 Finals series and had sold for £7.6 million ($10.1 million). The £2 million (£2.7 million) price obtained by Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello was four times higher than the previous auction record for that model. Nevertheless, the jersey did not surpass the overall record for game-worn sports memorabilia; the record holder is Babe Ruth's 1932 World Series jersey, which fetched £18.2 million ($24.1 million) in 2024.

The June 7, 1998, game was played at Chicago’s United Center with the series tied at 1-1. Jordan recorded 24 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block as the Bulls defeated the Jazz 96-54.

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Michael Jordan's Ferrari sells for a record $2.7M

Michael Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello sold for $2,700,000 at auction Wednesday night. That's the most expensive example of the model ever sold at a public sale. Up until that point, it’d spent 24 years out of the public eye. The Berlinetta with a front-engine layout which had been in the possession of the greatest basketball player of all time reaped a price higher than the original estimate when it was put up for sale at Joopiter.

The amount bid went well above the expected upper limit of 1.3 million dollars. When it was delivered new to Michael Jordan in 1997, the Rosso Barchetta 550 Maranello was modified to suit the six-foot-six superstar by retracting the rear seat rails and reducing the thickness of the cushioning. Having been driven home after his fifth victory in the NBA at the United Center on June 13, 1997, the manual V12 grand tourer immediately became a valuable part of American sports history.

After Jordan disposed of the car in 2002, it then disappeared from view for 24 years. Only after a persistent search by the automotive investigator John Temerian was the vehicle eventually located in California, where a private owner had been keeping it hidden in his collection. The narrative came full circle at Pharrell Williams's auction platform, Joopiter, where it achieved a final price of 2.7 million dollars, exceeding all expectations. Joopiter had first given an estimated range of 700,000 to 1.3 million dollars.

Who is Michael Jordan?

Regarded by many as the NBA's greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan won six titles with the Chicago Bulls. A Tar Heel at heart, the high school All-American attended the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, he played somewhat in the shadows of upperclassmen James Worthy and Sam Perkins.

His salary during his career totaled $90 million, but he has earned ten figures corporate partnerships with the likes of Nike, Hanes and Gatorade. Michael Jordan joined sports-betting company DraftKings as a special adviser to the board and an investor in September 2020. He also became a co-owner of a NASCAR team in 2020. Jordan sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in 2023 but reportedly kept a minority stake in the NBA team.