MIAMI — A game-worn, autographed red road jersey worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan during the historic 1998 NBA Finals has been sold in a private transaction for $14 million, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
The sale, facilitated by Hunt Auctions and announced on October 12, 2026, surpasses previous valuation benchmarks for basketball apparel and further highlights the commercial demand for items from Jordan’s final championship season with the Chicago Bulls.
Provenance and Chain of Custody
The red road jersey features Jordan’s signature and was originally acquired directly from the Chicago Bulls franchise by a private collector in 2003. According to auction house representatives, the item maintained an unbroken chain of custody, having changed hands only once prior to the private $14 million arrangement.
The buyer, identified as real estate investor and sports memorabilia collector Paul Firman, confirmed the transaction through an official statement:
“Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player who is admired around the world,” Firman stated. “I am very excited about the purchase.”
Record-Breaking Market Context
The $14 million valuation establishes the jersey as the most expensive basketball memorabilia item ever sold, eclipsing the previous basketball jersey record of $12.3 million set late last month for Jordan’s white Game 3 jersey from the same 1998 Finals series.
Across all sports memorabilia categories, the transaction represents the second-highest public or private price paid for a game-worn sports jersey, trailing only the $24.12 million valuation recorded in 2024 for Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” New York Yankees jersey.
The 1998 NBA Finals, often referred to as “The Last Dance,” marked Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship victory with the Chicago Bulls, maintaining a dominant position in the global sports collectibles market.
Michael Jordan Flickr Picture by khywashere
