By admin 
Sitting inside a vault owned by Joopiter Online, a digital-first commerce platform founded by music superstar Pharrell Williams, is what collectors consider one of the most valuable Michael Jordan memorabilia out there: his game-worn jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
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The jersey was consigned to Joopiter Online by collector Rob Gough, best known as the buyer of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in PSA 9 for a record $5.2 million in 2021. In an exclusive interview with Sporting News, Gough explained how the jersey ended up in his hands.
“Honestly, it wasn’t available,” Gough said. “Once someone holds these items, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own it, so they don’t get rid of it. I wasn’t sure where this was buried.”
How Gough found the jersey
Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals was the turning point in the Chicago Bulls’ “Last Dance” season.
Not only did they come out on top to break a 1-1 tie, but they also set the record for the most lopsided win (96-54) in Finals history. Many felt that crushing defeat deflated the Jazz and allowed the Bulls to win the next game and take an insurmountable 3-1 series lead.
According to Gough, the significance of that game and the record it set made him go on a hunt to find something that was not in the market
“I had to hunt it out,” he said. “It was not a quick or easy process. It was a long road to find it. I never got to the actual owner. I got to this person, which led to this person, which led to this person. It was a whole treasure hunt.”
“Finally, a broker found it and never let me even talk to or know who the seller was, or what they sold it for. For me, to be able to own it, it was worth the fee. To find it, hunt it and get the transaction, it was a long process,” Gough added.
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Record-breaking price?
Last month, Gough entrusted the Game 3 jersey to Joopiter, which has since listed it for online bidding with a presale estimate of $10 million to $15 million.
The current bid stands at $10 million, or $12 million once Joopiter’s buyer’s premium is included. At that price, it would shatter the basketball jersey auction record of $10.1 million, set by Jordan’s Game 1 jersey from the same Finals series.
But Gough’s Game 3 jersey carries an even more special significance.
“For me, it has to be a winner,” Gough said of the jersey. “And I love things that change the momentum of something. That, to me, was so important. This jersey was from the most important game and was the most important jersey to own.”
The jersey will be on public display at the Free Parking gallery in New York City until September 20, after which it can be viewed at Canon Collectibles from September 21- 26. The auction closes on September 30, 2026, at 8:02 a.m GMT+8.
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This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 3:13 AM.