Michael Jordan's "Shattered Backboard" Game Jersey Is Up For Auction

The market for Michael Jordan memorabilia has been red hot since ESPN and Netflix‘s The Last Dance began airing in April, and now Sotheby’s has readied a “Michael Jordan | Shattered” auction to “[celebrate] Michael Jordan’s astonishing legacy as one of the greatest athletes in modern history.” The centerpiece of the offerings? Jordan’s game-worn and signed jersey from 1985’s infamous “Shattered Backboard” charity game in Trieste, Italy.

During the Nike-sponsored exhibition Jordan put on a show by scoring 30 points, but the most memorable moment came when he soared to the hoop for a vicious right-handed dunk that shattered the backboard. This scintillating slam and the black-and-orange #23 Stefanel Trieste jersey Jordan donned for the game served as inspiration for Jordan Brand‘s “Shattered Backboard” lineup, which boasts four models: 2016’s Air Jordan 1 “Shattered Backboard” and Air Jordan 1 “Reverse Shattered Backboard,” 2018’s Air Jordan 1 “Satin Shattered Backboard” and 2019’s Air Jordan 1 “Shattered Backboard 3.0,” further increasing the moment’s cultural cachet more than 30 years after it occured. The jersey is expected to fetch between $300k-$500k USD at auction.

There’s also an original game-worn 1985 Air Jordan 1 “Chicago,” signed on both shoes. Estimates place its value between $200K-$300K USD, but the OG pair’s price could reach much higher: in May, another game-worn ‘85 “Chicago” was sold for a record-breaking $560K USD, which was quickly topped by a $615K USD sale in August. Interestingly enough, the latter pair was the one Jordan wore during the “Shattered Backboard” game. Also of note is a pristine Beckett Black Label Jordan basketball card, signed in black ink. It’s limited to a scant 69 copies — 26 others of which have been graded by Beckett and failed to meet the “Black Label” condition requirements — and is expected to sell for between $30k-$50K USD.

Bidding for these three items and several others is live on the Sotheby’s website now, and will run until December 3.

For more Jordan-related news, check out J Balvin’s ultra-colorful Air Jordan 1 collaboration.