Michael Jordan showed once again that he’s not only the GOAT on the court, he’s also the GOAT of sports memorabilia. In an auction at Julien’s that closed on Friday, Jordan’s jersey that he held up after signing with the Bulls sold for $320,000. That exceeded expectations which estimated the jersey would sell for between $200,000 and $300,000.
When Jordan signed with the Bulls, held up the symbolic jersey and smiled for the cameras, nobody could’ve known that would be the start of a dynasty. Looking back however, that was one of the first milestones on Jordan’s road to becoming a household name, worldwide, as a Chicago Bull. For sports memorabilia collectors, a unique piece from a moment like that is hard to resist.
In comparison, a game-worn and autographed jersey from LeBron James’ rookie season only sold for $128,000, falling towards the low end of it’s expected $100,000 - $200,000 price range. Hopefully this disparity puts the MJ v. LeBron debate to bed.
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Jordan memorabilia auctions made headlines earlier this year as well. Back in May a pair of his game-worn Air Jordan 1’s sold for $560,000, becoming the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold at auction.