This Week in Collecting: Jordan's 1998 Finals Jersey Sells for $12.26 Million

The short version: The white Chicago Bulls jersey Michael Jordan wore in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $12.26 million on Joopiter when the auction closed on Tuesday, September 29. That makes it the most expensive piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia ever sold at auction, topping his Game 1 jersey from the same series.

The "Last Dance" era just set another price ceiling. The jersey went to a single bidder inside a $10 million to $15 million estimate, and it beat the $10.091 million that Jordan's red Game 1 jersey brought at Sotheby's in September 2022. It lands at the end of a September packed with seven- and eight-figure sales, which says a lot about where top-end money in the hobby is going right now.

What happened

Joopiter, the online auction house co-founded by Pharrell Williams, put the jersey up for auction with a $10 million to $15 million estimate. According to NBC Chicago, the lot received one bid before it closed and sold for $12.26 million. The buyer has not been identified.

Jordan wore the jersey on June 7, 1998, at the United Center, when the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz 96-54 to take a 2-1 series lead. He finished with 24 points, three rebounds and two assists in 43 minutes. Chicago went on to win the series in six games for its sixth title in eight seasons, the run later told in ESPN's "The Last Dance."

The sale leaned hard on paperwork. The Joopiter lot page says the jersey comes with a MeiGray photomatching certificate and a letter of provenance. TSN reported that MeiGray authenticated it in December 2015 and matched it to two Getty Images photos from the game.

Why it matters and how it compares

Scarcity drove this one. Joopiter says only four game-winning jerseys exist from the 1998 Finals, and this is the only publicly known white one ever to surface for sale. In its own words, "Few objects in the history of sport embody greatness as completely as Michael Jordan's Game 3 jersey," according to NBC Chicago.

Here is how it stacks up against other big Jordan uniform sales:

• $12.26 million (2026): 1998 Finals Game 3 jersey, Joopiter.
• $10.091 million (2022): 1998 Finals Game 1 jersey, Sotheby's.
• $4.7 million (2024): 1996-97 Bulls jersey, the top lot in an $8.5 million Sotheby's collection, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
• $2.6 million (2025): 1992-93 jersey and shorts photo-matched to 17 games, Heritage Auctions.

It still sits well short of the overall record for game-worn sports memorabilia. Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series holds that mark at $24.12 million, set in 2024.

The bigger trend

This sale did not happen in a vacuum. September was a heavy month for trophy items. On September 26, Sports Illustrated reported that a one-of-one 2007 Exquisite Collection Kobe Bryant and LeBron James Dual Logoman autograph sold on Alt for $6,501,840 with buyer's premium, the highest sale ever on that platform.

The auction houses are feeling it too. Heritage Auctions posted more than $1.41 billion in sales in the first half of 2026, up 47% from a year earlier and its best midyear total in 50 years, according to a Robb Report story republished by Yahoo Finance.

The common thread is a short list of names, true one-of-ones, and documentation that leaves no room for doubt. Items with all three are where the eight-figure bids are landing.

What it means for collectors and resellers

Most of us will never handle a Finals jersey. The lessons still carry down to the stuff you find at card shows, estate sales and thrift racks.

• Provenance is the product. A photomatch and a clean ownership history are what turned this jersey from "a Jordan jersey" into a record. On smaller pieces, keep receipts, letters, COAs and photos with the item. They add real value when you sell.
• Know what "game-worn" really means. Retail and swingman jerseys are common. Game-worn and photo-matched pieces are a different market. If you're digging through racks, our guide on what to look for at thrift stores covers how to spot the finds worth a second look.
• Use sold prices, not asking prices. A record headline can make every listing for a related item jump overnight. Check completed sales before you buy or price anything. Tools like Moe can identify an item from a photo and show what similar pieces have actually sold for.
• Watch the halo, but don't chase it. Big sales tend to pull attention toward a player's other items for a while. Track the sold comps over a few weeks and see whether the move holds.

What to watch next

Heritage has a T206 Honus Wagner headed to its Fall Sports Catalog Auction, per an October 5 press release, so the high end has more tests coming this fall. Collectors will also be watching whether more 1998 Finals game-winning jerseys surface now that a white example has set the bar. With only one bid on this lot, the next big Jordan uniform will show whether $12 million is a new floor or a one-buyer moment.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Michael Jordan's 1998 Finals Game 3 jersey sell for?

It sold for $12.26 million on Joopiter when the auction closed on September 29, 2026. The pre-sale estimate was $10 million to $15 million.

Is this the most expensive Michael Jordan jersey ever sold?

Yes. It is the most expensive piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia sold at auction, passing his 1998 Finals Game 1 jersey, which sold for $10.091 million at Sotheby's in 2022.

What is the most expensive sports jersey ever sold?

Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series still holds the record for game-worn sports memorabilia at $24.12 million, set in 2024.

How was the Jordan Game 3 jersey authenticated?

It comes with a MeiGray photomatching certificate and a letter of provenance. TSN reported that MeiGray authenticated it in 2015 and matched it to two Getty Images photos from the game.

Who bought the Michael Jordan Last Dance jersey?

The buyer has not been publicly identified. Reports say the lot received a single bid before the auction closed.