This Week in Collecting: Jordan's Game 2 Finals Jersey Tops Record at $14 Million

The short version: Michael Jordan's signed, game-worn jersey from Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold in a private deal for $14 million, Hunt Auctions announced on October 12, 2026. That beats the $12.26 million his Game 3 jersey brought at auction less than two weeks earlier and sets a new high for any piece of basketball memorabilia.

Last week we covered the $12.26 million sale of Jordan's Game 3 jersey, then a record for an NBA jersey. The record didn't last. A second jersey from the same "Last Dance" Finals has now changed hands for more, and this one carries Jordan's autograph.

What happened

According to the Hunt Auctions press release, the red Chicago Bulls road jersey sold through a private treaty sale for $14,000,000. Hunt, based in Exton, Pennsylvania, brokered the deal and announced it on Monday, October 12. Sports Collectors Daily reported that the deal was finalized last month.

Jordan wore the jersey on June 5, 1998, in Salt Lake City. The Bulls beat the Utah Jazz 93-88 to even the series at a game apiece, and Jordan led all scorers with 37 points. Chicago went on to win the series in six games, Jordan's sixth and final title with the Bulls.

The details that drive a price like this:

• Photomatching: MeiGray Authentication and SIA Authentication both matched the jersey to Game 2.
• Autograph: Jordan signed it, and the signature is authenticated by Upper Deck. The Game 1 and Game 3 jerseys that sold before it are unsigned.
• Provenance: Hunt says a collector bought the jersey directly from the Bulls, and it has changed hands only once since. The paperwork includes a 2003 letter from Jeff Schultz, the Bulls' longtime director of community relations.

The buyer is sports memorabilia collector Ron Firman, a commercial real estate investor originally from Rye, New York, who was named in Hunt's release. "I'm very excited about the purchase," Firman said in the release. Hunt Auctions president David Hunt said, "We are very pleased to have been able to facilitate this historic sale, which serves as another benchmark for our industry," as reported by The Independent via Yahoo Sports.

How it compares

Three jerseys from the 1998 Finals have now sold for eight figures. Here's how they line up:

• Game 1 (red road): $10,091,000 at Sotheby's in September 2022.
• Game 3 (white home): $12,260,000 at JOOPITER on September 29, 2026, made up of a $10 million hammer price plus $2.26 million in buyer's fees.
• Game 2 (red road, signed): $14,000,000 in a private sale announced October 12, 2026.

Hunt calls $14 million a world record for basketball memorabilia. It is the second-highest price reported for a game-worn jersey in any sport. Only Babe Ruth's 1932 World Series "Called Shot" jersey, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024, has gone for more. "Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan stand above all others in the history of American sports," David Hunt said, according to Sports Collectors Daily.

One distinction matters. The Game 3 jersey still holds the record for the highest public auction price for an NBA jersey, because its price was set by open bidding with fees disclosed. The Game 2 price comes from a private deal, so the figure is what the auction house and buyer announced. There was no public bidding to watch.

The same game has produced another big number before. The Air Jordan 13 sneakers Jordan wore in Game 2 sold at Sotheby's in 2023 for $2.2 million, and The Athletic, in a report republished by The Salt Lake Tribune, notes they remain the most expensive sneakers sold publicly.

The bigger trend

Top-tier memorabilia keeps setting marks, and the same names keep showing up at the top. Firman is no newcomer to this level of the market. Sports Collectors Daily reports he paid $12.6 million for an SGC 9.5 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card through Heritage in August 2022. He also bought an original 1951 Mantle photograph for $3 million in a private sale brokered by Hunt, which The Athletic called a record for a Type 1 photo.

The auction houses are posting record numbers too. Heritage Auctions reported more than $1.41 billion in sales in the first half of 2026, the highest midyear total in its 50-year history and a 47 percent jump over the same period a year earlier, according to Yahoo Finance.

Private sales are part of that story. A private treaty deal lets a buyer and seller agree on a price without the uncertainty of a public auction. For a one-of-a-kind item, that can mean a quick, quiet sale. It also means less transparency, since the market only learns the price when someone chooses to announce it.

What it means for collectors and resellers

Most of us will never handle a $14 million jersey. The lessons still apply to the jerseys, cards and signed items that show up at estate sales, card shows and thrift stores.

• Game-worn is a different world from retail. The value here comes from photomatching and a documented chain of ownership. A store-bought or replica Jordan jersey sells for a tiny fraction of that. Check tags, materials and any paperwork before you assume you have something special.
• Paperwork is value. A letter from a team employee helped tell this jersey's story. If an item comes with letters, photos or receipts, keep them with it.
• Autographs need authentication. The Upper Deck authentication on this signature is part of what separates it from the unsigned Game 1 and Game 3 jerseys. An unverified signature can hurt a sale more than it helps.
• Price on sold results, not asking prices. Headline sales lift interest, and sellers often list everyday Jordan items at hopeful prices. Look at what comparable items actually sold for. A quick way to start is snapping a photo with Moe, which identifies the item and shows current market value.

What to watch next

According to The Athletic, Jordan's jerseys from Games 4, 5 and 6 of the 1998 Finals have not sold publicly. Game 6 clinched Jordan's sixth and final title with the Bulls, so collectors will be watching whether any of the three ever surfaces.

Also watch the gap between Jordan and Ruth. At $14 million, the top Jordan jersey is still about $10 million short of the "Called Shot" jersey. Hunt's own framing puts the two players side by side, and each new Jordan sale is a test of how close he can get.

Hunt Auctions is accepting consignments for its next live sale, set for February 13, 2027, in Los Angeles, according to the release.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Michael Jordan's 1998 Finals Game 2 jersey sell for?

It sold for $14 million in a private treaty sale brokered by Hunt Auctions, which announced the deal on October 12, 2026. Hunt calls it a world record for basketball memorabilia.

Who bought Michael Jordan's Game 2 jersey?

Hunt Auctions named the buyer as sports memorabilia collector Ron Firman, originally from Rye, New York. He previously bought an SGC 9.5 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card for $12.6 million in 2022.

What is the most expensive sports jersey ever sold?

Babe Ruth's 1932 World Series "Called Shot" jersey, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024. Jordan's Game 2 jersey at $14 million is now second.

Is the Game 2 jersey worth more than the Game 3 jersey?

It sold for more: $14 million versus $12.26 million. The Game 2 jersey is signed and the Game 3 jersey is not. The Game 3 price came from a public auction, while the Game 2 price came from a private sale.

What is a private treaty sale?

It's a sale where an auction house or broker connects a buyer and seller directly and they agree on a price, with no public bidding. The price becomes public only if the parties announce it.