Seller of Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 Jersey Is Ready to Watch It Make History Again
With a presale estimate of $10 million, the iconic piece of sports memorabilia is expecting to smash records
Pharrell’s auction house JOOPITER sent the internet into a frenzy last week when it announced the upcoming sale of Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 jersey. Jordan wore the white jersey as he recorded 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block as the Bulls stunned the Utah Jazz with a commanding 96-54 win. Now the seller behind the instantly recognizable piece of sports memorabilia, Rob Gough, is ready to watch the iconic jersey make history again.
To first attain the jersey, Gough set off on a treasure hunt of sorts to figure out where it landed after Jordan’s legendary championship win. “The problem with iconic pieces of history is that they’re not really for sale,” Gough told Galerie. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime, and if you miss that moment, you can never get it again.”
Gough is ready for someone else to get their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to appreciate the jersey as he has at his home in Puerto Rico. “I have a lot of art, I love art—but if you watch people come to my house, they walk right past the art and are more intrigued and more excited about this NBA Finals jersey,” he said. “They have the crazy stories: ‘I remember watching that game, he did this,’ or ‘I was at the game with my father.’ It’s really the passion that you see people get.”
Gough, who recently acquired the World Jai Alai League in Miami, thinks the jersey resonates with fans now because it’s a piece of pop culture akin to art by Andy Warhol or Jean-Michel Basquiat. “Michael Jordan is really pop culture for our generation,” he said. “For three decades, he’s been the guy.” And while the jersey certainly deserves a place in a museum, Gough is excited to see what the next owner does with it.
“This is going to break every record out there,” he said. “This is going to be fun to watch and so amazing to see who ends up with this. I’m assuming whoever ends up with it, it won’t come to market again. It’s so rare, and hopefully someone gets to enjoy it forever.”