A collection of game-worn Michael Jordan gear that could go for over $1 million will be auctioned in the coming months. Jordan’s assistant and longtime friend George Koehler is putting up 28 items through Goldin Auctions, including the jersey Jordan wore for the final game of his NBA career. Signed Air Jordan 1s, a Birmingham Barons jersey and Air Jordan cleats will also be sold. A belt buckle and signed cowboy boots are among five non-game related items included in the group.
Interest in Jordan memorabilia has risen since ESPN’s 10-part documentary series The Last Dance began airing this spring, and after the finale Koehler approached Goldin about capitalizing on the items he owned. The show set a record for most-watched documentary on ESPN and drew nearly 25 million viewers from around the world on Netflix during its first month on the service. In April, a Jordan jersey from the Barcelona Olympics sold for $216,000.
“The interest this year is at an all-time high,” Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin said. “It’s the definition of fever pitch.” He added that the last game jersey alone could go for at least $500,000.
“Jordan items generally are the most desirable of any player in any sport,” Goldin said. “I’m as likely to have a bidder from Asia, Australia or the Middle East as I am from North America.”
Koehler was among the many secondary characters to leave an impression on the docuseries’ millions of viewers. A 1991 article identified the Chicago native as MJ’s “chauffeur, body guard, advisor, companion at promotional and public appearances, confidant, Ping-Pong partner and personal assistant, among a dozen other functions.”
Bidding will begin on most of the collection starting Nov. 23, with the final game jersey being held for January 2021.