Michael Jordan’s and Kobe Bryant’s jerseys, Muhammad Ali’s belt: 5 expensive sports memorabilia sold

A pair of trainers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during the 1998 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals

sold for US$2.2 million (S$2.9 million)

on Tuesday, making them the most expensive pair of trainers ever sold.

Jordan wore the “Bred” (“black and red”) Air Jordan 13s for the second game of the Finals during his last year with the Chicago Bulls, which was covered in the Netflix docuseries The Last Dance. 

The latest sale at auction house Sotheby’s cements Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia. 

Here are five other expensive sports memorabilia that were sold in the past. 

1. Jordan’s Last Dance jersey (US$10.1m)

A jersey won by Jordan during the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold for a record US$10.1 million in September 2022. It was auctioned at Sotheby’s with a June 1998 Sports Illustrated magazine that featured him on the cover. The sale is the most a piece of sporting memorabilia worn during play has fetched in history. Jordan’s jersey broke the previous record of US$9.28 million for a jersey worn by the late Argentinian football star Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup. 

2. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s belt (US$6.18m) 

Ali’s championship belt from his 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” heavyweight title fight was sold for US$6.18 million in July 2022. The fight, which also featured world heavyweight champion George Foreman, was one of the sport’s most iconic. Ali won the fight via knockout in the eighth round. The belt was reportedly bought by serial memorabilia collector Jim Irsay, owner of the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts. Ali died at the age of 74 in 2016. 

3. Kobe Bryant’s jersey (US$5.8 million) 

The late NBA legend Bryant’s iconic yellow-and-purple No. 24 jersey was put up for sale by an anonymous owner. In February 2023,

it was sold for US$5.8 million.

The jersey, worn by the Lakers icon in 25 games during the 2007 to 2008 season, was signed by him. Bryant won five NBA titles and two Olympic gold medals, and was an 18-time All Star. Bryant died in a helicopter accident in 2020. 

4. Baseball star Jackie Robinson’s 1947 debut ticket stub (US$480k)

A ticket to watch baseball star Jackie Robinson’s Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 cost US$1.75 back then. In February 2022, that ticket stub was sold for US$480,000, making it the most expensive sporting-event ticket ever sold at an auction. There were reportedly only seven ticket stubs for that game known to be in existence, according to auction house Heritage Auctions. Robinson was the first African-American to appear in the MLB. He died at the age of 53 in 1972. 

5. Mickey Mantle baseball card (US$12.6m)

In 1952, collectible company Topps issued a baseball card that featured the baseball star Mickey Mantle. The card, which was still in mint condition, was

sold for US$12.6 million in August 2022.

Mantle was the most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history. The New York Times reported that it was the first sports item to be sold at an auction for eight figures. Mantle died at the age of 63 from liver cancer in 1995.