Michael Jordan game-worn jersey could fetch eye-watering £4m at auction
NBA aficionados will have to break open the piggy bank if they're to win Michael Jordan's match-worn jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals next month.
One of the most iconic jerseys in sports history will go on auction in September, and fans of Netflix's The Last Dance will be well aware of its legacy. Jordan, 59, won the last of his six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in 1998, the swan song season that became the focus of the docuseries.
However, this is the first time a red jersey from that series will be sold at auction, putting many supporters and sports enthusiasts on alert. The estimated sale price for the item is between $3million (£2.5m) and $5m (£4m), which could make it the most expensive piece of Jordan memorabilia ever sold.
READ MORE: Baseball fan accidentally flashes boobs while dancing in stand – and gets kicked out
The sneakers Jordan wore during the famous 'flu game' (Game 5 of the 1997 Finals) sold for just shy of $105,000 in November 2013. A white and red jersey from the 1998 Finals against the Utah Jazz later sold for $173,240, highlighting the additional demand for that iconic red.
“Finals jerseys from Jordan … they just don’t come around,” Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and modern collectibles for London auction house Sotheby’s, told the New York Post. “Red is really the colour that people think about when they think about Michael Jordan, and this is the only red Finals jersey to ever appear at auction.”
The red vest in question was worn by Jordan during the opening game of the 1998 series, which the Bulls actually lost 88-85 in overtime. Despite that disappointment in Salt Lake City, 'MJ' still managed to put up 33 points and was unfortunate not to emerge on the winning side.
What's your favourite Michael Jordan highlight? Let us know in the comments section.
Phil Jackson's Chicago hit back by winning the next three games in a row and clinching the series 4-2. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the sixth time in as many attempts, winning a championship every time he made it to the NBA's showpiece event.
Prior to being put up for auction, Jordan's jersey will be publicly displayed in California and New York. Bidding will get underway on September 6 and closes on September 14, at which point one lucky investor can come closer to being 'like Mike' than most of us ever will.
There's even hope the item could eclipse its $5m upper estimate after a Diego Maradona jersey from the 1986 World Cup recently exceeded expectations. The Argentina legend's strip from the infamous 'Hand of God' win over England had a high estimate of $7.5m (£6.1m) but eventually sold for an eye-watering $9.3m (£7.6m).
READ NEXT:
Baseball player left red-faced after phone flies out of pocket in MLB debut
LA Lakers owner and former Playboy model has Twitter hacked – but only one message posted
Porn star Lisa Ann romped with NBA superstar so long he didn't realise he was traded
Source: Read Full Article