Story perspectives

Ryan Gough sells Jordan Game 3 jersey for $12.26M

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. entrepreneur Ryan Gough sold Michael Jordan’s Game 3 1998 NBA Finals jersey for $12.26 million at Joopiter.
The sale surpassed the prior Jordan record of $10.091 million set by the Game 1 jersey in 2022.
Joopiter had valued the jersey between $10 million and $15 million before the auction.
The $12.26 million price is roughly half of the overall sports-jersey record set by Babe Ruth’s 1932 jersey.

Summary

Caitlin Donovan Launches Auction

Caitlin Donovan, Joopiter’s Head of Sale, said the auction marked the platform’s debut in collector-car sales.
John Temerian, Curated CEO, said the sale shows a generational shift in collector values.
The Ferrari, hidden for 24 years, has a custom driver-seat track for Jordan’s 6-foot-6-inch frame.
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield used the car as inspiration for the Air Jordan 14 sneaker.
Its V12 engine produces 485 horsepower and tops out at 199 mph.

History

Historical Context

In 1932, Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey fetched $1.12 million at a Sotheby’s auction, establishing the first six-figure sports-memorabilia record. The auction house Sotheby’s, alongside collectors like Ryan Gough and Joopiter, later valued Michael Jordan’s 1998 Game 3 jersey between $10 million and $15 million, underscoring soaring prices. Today, Joopiter’s sale of the Ferrari, announced by Caitlin Donovan and Curated CEO John Temerian, echoes the 1932 precedent by converting athletic heritage into assets. The parallel suggests that as memorabilia markets expand, future auctions may regularly surpass historic benchmarks, reshaping valuation standards for sports and automotive collectibles.

1 of 3

Story summary

U.S. entrepreneur Ryan Gough sold Michael Jordan’s Game 3 1998 NBA Finals jersey for $12.26 million at Joopiter.
The sale surpassed the prior Jordan record of $10.091 million set by the Game 1 jersey in 2022.
Joopiter had valued the jersey between $10 million and $15 million before the auction.
The $12.26 million price is roughly half of the overall sports-jersey record set by Babe Ruth’s 1932 jersey.

1 / 3