It brought to mind a sports year when Michael Jordan won his sixth and last NBA championship. Sotheby’s said that a total of 20 bids were placed on Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey on Thursday. Bidders were “excited to acquire a rarefied piece of history,” according to Brahm Wachter, director of streetwear and current collectibles at Sotheby’s.
The price of the jersey broke the previous record of $9.28 million, which was paid for a shirt worn by soccer legend Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup. A Sports Illustrated magazine from June 1998, with Jordan on the cover, was also auctioned off alongside the item. Jordan is regarded by many as the best basketball player ever.