Michael Jordan's first-of-its-kind Bulls jersey sells for $4.2 million
03/27/2025 12:54 PM
A game-worn, photo-matched jersey believed to be the first ever worn by Michael Jordan in the NBA sold for $4.215 million at Sotheby's on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Dan Hajducky.
The Chicago Bulls jersey, worn during the 1984-85 preseason, is the only authenticated game-worn jersey from Jordan's rookie season known to exist. It becomes the fifth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold at auction.
MeiGray, a prominent photo-matching and authentication firm, worked with forensic analysis company Proven Data to confirm the jersey's use in four games: Oct. 5, 7, 13, and 18 of 1984. In its authentication letter, MeiGray stated it believes the jersey was Jordan's first worn "while playing in the NBA."
Sports Investors Authenticated (SIA) also matched the jersey to two of those games — Oct. 7 and 13 — and provided an additional authentication letter. James Spence Authentication certified the autograph displayed on the front of the jersey, which includes Jordan's signature and the inscription "My Very Best."
Jordan wore the jersey during a preseason game on Oct. 5, 1984, against the Indiana Pacers in Peoria, Illinois. The game drew a modest crowd of around 2,000 fans. The jersey's historical significance and rarity contributed to its multimillion-dollar final price.
First-of-its-kind Michael Jordan Bulls jersey sells for $4.2 million
Moreover, the item shows clear signs of being repurposed from a previous Chicago Bulls player. According to Hajducky, there are darkened stains on the back near the name and number, indicating a nameplate swap. This detail aligns with a letter from the Bulls' then-PR director dated May 1985, which was included in the original lot when the jersey was last sold in 2009. That letter stated, "If that jersey has a number and name change, sounds like you have the very first jersey this organization issued Michael Jordan."
The jersey previously sold for $66,000 through Grey Flannel Auctions in 2009.
The $4.215 million sale places the jersey behind four others on the all-time NBA auction list. A Jordan jersey worn during 17 games in the 1996-97 season sold for $4.7 million. Wilt Chamberlain's Game 5 jersey from the 1972 NBA Finals fetched $4.9 million. Kobe Bryant's signed, game-worn MVP-season Lakers jersey from 2007-08 sold for $5.85 million. Jordan's "Last Dance" jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals remains the most expensive, selling for $10.091 million in September 2022 — a record for any item of sports memorabilia.
Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, debuted with the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and quickly became one of the most iconic athletes in sports history. His memorabilia consistently draws some of the highest prices in the collectibles market.
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