1984 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Game-Used Rookie Road Uniform (Jersey and Shorts) MEARS A10

Sold For:

$70,500

Year:

1984

Auction:

2007 Spring

Lot #:

1415

Category:

Boxing/Golf/Other Cards or Memorabilia

Collectors have always placed special significance on game-worn items dating from the rookie season of prominent players. Offered here is one such piece that may very well be the most historically important basketball uniform in existence: a Chicago Bulls road uniform (both jersey and shorts) worn by Michael Jordan during his 1984/85 rookie season in the NBA. Graded a perfect A10 by MEARS. The red-mesh jersey is lettered "Chicago" across the front in script letters and features the number "23" on the front and reverse. "Jordan" is lettered on the reverse above the name. All letters and numbers are vinyl and have been applied by means of a heat-transfer process. The design of the front lettering is done in two-tone black on white, while the name on the reverse is in solid white. All numerals are appliquéd in two-tone black on white. A "Rawlings 42" label appears on the right front tail. The matching red-mesh shorts, with white side panels bearing the Bull's team logo, feature a "Rawlings 34" tag in the waistband. Also located in the waistband, adjacent to the manufacturer's label, is the number "23" chain-stitched in red upon a white strip tag. Although both the jersey and pants bear no year tag, they can be dated precisely to his rookie season due to the fact that 1984 was the only year in which Jordan wore a Rawlings-manufactured Bulls jersey. (He was Nike's leading spokesperson for the remainder of his career.) Both the jersey and shorts are completely original, with no alterations, and display light wear. The black-marker signature on the front of the jersey has been presented to but not authenticated by James Spence/JSA because the experts there were not sufficiently comfortable with the signature. Michael Jordan, along with a few other world-renown stars (such as Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali), is one of the most forged of all signatures and poses special challenges for authenticators, especially on unusual items such as jerseys. In the interest of full disclosure we feel it is important to state that we are presenting the signature as not authenticated, but at the same time our common sense tells us that it is unlikely that anyone would intentionally add a secretarial or forged signature to this jersey which is an unequivocally authentic Jordan rookie game jersey. (Important Note: JSA looks only at the signature when assessing an item such as this. The fact that this is an authentic game-used jersey is by design not taken into account and has no bearing.) A written opinion from a dealer in signed Jordan items accompanies, in affirmation of the signature, which of course could be removed entirely if desired. The merits of the signature aside, this remains one of the most significant basketball uniforms in existence as it marks the beginning of the greatest career in basketball history. Michael Jordan was chosen by the Bulls with the third pick in the 1984 draft, and with that selection the seeds of a dynasty were planted. Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game during his first season and was named Rookie of the Year at season's end. His high-flying antics and prodigious dunks soon earned him the title "Air Jordan," but as NBA fans soon came to realize, he was not simply a one-dimensional scoring machine. Jordan was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on nine separate occasions and in 1988 was voted Defensive Player of the Year. Included among his many other honors are five MVP Awards, fourteen All-Star Game appearances, and three All-Star MVP Awards. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA Championships and also led the United States Basketball team to gold medal victories in the 1984 and 1994 Olympics. In 1996 he was named one of the Fifty Greatest Players in NBA History. A poll conducted in 2000 by ESPN named Jordan the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century. Graded A10 by MEARS. Almost all of the dozens of Michael Jordan uniforms evaluated by MEARS cannot be attributed to game use, and in accordance with its established practices, can therefore only be graded only A5. This is a rare exception. This is an extraordinary Michael Jordan rookie uniform and only the third A10 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey ever listed in the MEARS Population Report. It is also the only complete rookie uniform (both shirt and pants) known. From the personal collection of renowned Michael Jordan collector James Rubino. LOA from Dave Bushing & Troy Kinunen/MEARS. Reserve $10,000. Estimate (open). SOLD FOR $70,500.00