By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
An iconic red Chicago Bulls shirt, worn by basketball super star, Michael Jordan, during Game 1 of 1998 NBA Finals, has sold by auction for a record sum of US$10.1 million.
This is the highest sum ever paid for a piece of sports clothing; the previous record being held by the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in the 1996 FIFA World Cup, which was sold for US$9.28 million.
According to Sotheby’s auction house, which handled the sale, the Michael Jordan shirt produced 20 separate bids, which drove the price to double its estimate of US$5 million.
The previous record for a basketball shirt was set by the one worn and autographed by the late Kobe Bryant, which was sold in May 2021 for the sum of US$3.6 million.
However, the record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia is held by a Mickey Mantle baseball card, which was sold for US$12.6 million last month.
There is certainly a lucrative market out there for all kinds of sports memorabilia!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.’