One of the hottest discussions in all basketball is the Goat speech and whether Michael Jordan has done enough to secure his place on Mount Rushmore in the NBA. After six MVP titles and five awards, the Chicago Bulls icon claims to be (and always will be) the greatest icon of all time, with NBA legends, old and new, contributing to this coveted title. But if there’s one thing these other players can’t touch when it comes to MJ’s career, it’s her merchandise.
First Jordan built an empire of several billion dollars with his own brand Jordan under the sportswear giant Nike. But it is not only with new products that the basketball legend has the market. Decades after his incredible NBA career, no. 23 still shows how much he has influenced the sport, and this endless rise in popularity helps everything to reach a valuable peak, especially his memories.
Here are the five most expensive Michael Jordan memorabilia ever sold.
5. Toys 1984. Olympic sweater – ($273,904)
There’s nothing like a toy from the biggest GM to drive collectors crazy and empty their pockets (as you can see in this list). Jordan has a collection of t-shirts with toys that are auctioned and sold on the market, but this is certainly the most expensive so far. The young Michael Jordan made his debut with the American team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and this time, wearing the team’s red uniform, was really something special.
The summer games for Jordan were kind of a party away from home like a month before the tournament he had just been set up by the Chicago Bulls. He led the team with points (17 points per game) and set an unscathed record of 8-0 on his way to his first gold medal.
The MJ Team USA competition form was auctioned at the Grey Flannel Auctions and sold for $273,904 in June 2017.
4. 1992 Basketball used and signed from music video Jam ($304,000)
If you combine the two greatest icons of the pop culture generation in one project, it’s almost impossible to hang a forgery. In 1992, one of the world’s greatest musical personalities, Michael Jackson, starred Jordan in a music video of their hit single by the aptly named Jam. The video had it all: Michael Jackson plays basketball and Michael Jordan hits the dance floor. It was an instant classic.
Almost two decades after the video premiered, none of the DOJs made headlines because one of the details used in the video was in the spotlight and sold for $304,000. One of the basketballs used in production, signed by both Michaels, was sold in 2010 when Hollywood Legends in Macau sold more than 2.4 million Macau Patacas. You read it right, the old Spalding ball sold for over a quarter of a million dollars. That’s what the stellar power of these two generations can give you.
3. Air Jordan Gaming Airline 1C ($560,000)
One of Jordan’s most famous couples is the first of his signature collection – Air Jordan 1. This pair is one of the most important shoes in the history of sneakers, as it paved the way for Jordan to get a new shoe signature in each of the next championship seasons. The series, designed by Peter Moore, has one of the most iconic silhouettes in the world of sneakers and has even seen its Nike release updated more than three decades after its first release.
Michael Jordan wore these sneakers shortly after signing the historic contract with the shoe brand, even before entering the competition in 1984. Despite the fact that Jordan was only second to Adidas in terms of brand popularity, Jordan eventually signed a contract with Nike after Adidas was unwilling to respond to Nike’s offer. Nike has reportedly offered a young Jordanian a five-year contract for $500,000, with an interesting three-part reservation. First he had to win the ROTY prize. Then he must have participated in the all-star game or have an average of at least 20 points per game. And finally, in the third year of his life, he had to sell shoes worth $4 million. In the end, Michael surpassed all the things that make this sneaker special.
Originally estimated at $150,000, this pair of single-player games was sold for $560,000 in 2020 after the release of the documentary Jordan Netflix Last Dance.
2. Broken Playing Clothing Nike Air Jordan 1C ($615,000)
Yeah, games that sell for over half a million dollars are already crazy. But if you add a piece of broken glass to the sole, that number goes up another $50,000. Three months after the said pair was sold for $560,000, another rare MJ artifact entered the history books as one of the most expensive sneakers ever sold.
This pair of Air Jordan 1’s in the descent is quite unique. Jordan wore this special pair in the summer of 1985 during an exhibition competition in Trieste, Italy. Fresh from his first season in the NBA, Jordan brought his talents from around the world and ended up breaking his backboard after wearing a solid helmet in battle. Apparently, a small piece of glass from the incident got stuck in the sole of the left shoe, making the pair a little elusive.
In the summer of 2020, 35 years after Jordan broke glass in Italy, the pair broke the world record and sold Christie’s for $615,000 in a lottery that included eight extra MJ sneakers. Total sales were an incredible $931,875, with Broken Back 1 as a huge commercial success.
1. Delta Center Hardwood Flooring ($1,000,000)
Of course, one of the craziest souvenirs Jordan has ever sold was nothing that M.J. wore or even approved under any of his daughter’s brand names. He didn’t sign anything either. Upper Deck, a credit card company, is said to have bought hardwood floors at the Delta Center, the Utah Jazz Palace, for the incredible sum of $1,000,000. What makes this wood collection so special? Never mind, then Jordan and his bulls won their last joint title in the sixth round. 1998 NBA final match against Jazz.
More than a year after Jordan shot one of the most iconic jumpers in NBA history, the Upper Deck signed a check for $1 million to buy the actual sex of the two teams, which was released on March 14. It was played on June 6, 1998, when the bulls finished a series against Jazz and won their sixth NBA title in eight seasons. This game was undoubtedly the end of an era, and the upper deck wanted much of this historic moment.
While the company has yet to release plans for what it will do with 90-foot trim, the mere fact that it is going down in history as one of the most expensive and craziest purchases ever made in the history of the sport is definitely worth it.
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