A rare Michael Jordan card from the 1997-98 NBA season sold at a New York City auction last week for more than $232,000, the second-most expensive card sold during the entire auction.
The card, a 1997-98 Michael Jordan Metal Universe Championship Precious Metal Gems, was a PSA-graded 8 and sold for $232,846.80.
According to Leland’s, the auction house who sold the rare Jordan card, it is a part of “The Golden Age Collection.”
Leland’s said it was the first time since 2020, a PSA-graded example from the collection has come to auction, and this time it was a freshly graded NM-MT 8 example.
The card has a colorful image of Jordan in full shooting extension with the ball ready to leave his right hand with a Chicago skyline background. The reverse is clean and bright and is numbered 25/50.
According to the population report, there are seven examples graded NM-MT 8 with only four higher. Lelands said Precious Metal Gems are what collectors consider the most important basketball inserts ever produced, and 1997 marked their Inaugural year.
Jordan had two Precious Metal Gem versions in 1997-98; the No. 23 example and this No. 23 Championship example. The other No. 23 version has a print run of 100, with the first ten being green and remaining 90 being red. However for the Championship version, there is only one type, with a print run of 50.
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Jordan won his fifth Most Valuable Player award and sixth Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the 1997-98 season, which culminated with his iconic crossover jump shot to win Game 6 of the NBA Finals against Byron Russell and the Utah Jazz. Both the MVP award and NBA championship were the last of his illustrious NBA career.
The most expensive card sold among the Leland’s Winter Classic lot was a Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship Year Game-Worn Jersey card that sold for $256,714.
The Clemente game-worn jersey card came with a full SGC authentication book. During that historic season, Clemente batted .314 with 94 RBI, leading the Pirates to their first World Series championship in 35 years. An incredibly important piece, this gray vest-style button-front top received a grade of excellent from SGC, the second-highest grade attainable.
Other rare cards and items that fetched hefty prices at the auction included a Ted Williams 1942 Boston Red Sox game-worn, photo-matched jersey from his first Triple Crown season ($191,563), a 1991 Kentucky Derby Owner’s Trophy ($165,479), a circa 1920s Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig dual-signed Yankees original photograph PSA Type 1 – Auto 9 ($131,066), a Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner signed baseball ($102,694), and a Sidney Crosby 2005-06 rookie year Penguins game-worn, photo-matched jersey ($86,464).
The auction also featured a signed 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson No. 50 PSA Authentic Auto 9 ($85,772), a Pete Rose 1976 Reds World Championship year signed, game-worn jersey ($41,477), a Ted Williams 1940’s Red Sox game-used jacket ($40,920), a Lynn Swann Steelers game-worn jersey photo-matched to Nov. 27, 1978, when he had a season-high 134 yards and two touchdowns ($37,620), a Brian Leetch 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs Rangers signed, game-worn, photo-matched jersey ($37,620), and a Jerry Lucas 1960-62 Ohio State Buckeyes game-worn jersey ($31,676).
