Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 1997 - 1998 "The Last Dance" Game Worn and Signed Sneakers

Michael Jordan’s name has become synonymous with greatness. The NBA legend’s unprecedented success as an athlete is well-documented and may never be replicated – 6 NBA championships, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 league MVPs, and 2 Olympic Gold Medals are just a few of Jordan’s on-court accomplishments. Many consider Jordan to be the greatest athlete who ever lived.

Offered in this lot is a pair of Nike Air Jordan 13s, issued to and worn by Michael Jordan in the 1997-1998 NBA season.

The left shoe is signed by Michael Jordan and is affixed with an Upper Deck tamper-proof serialized sticker: BAM00018. The sneakers are accompanied by a letter from James Spence in regard to the signatures. The sneakers were reviewed by MeiGray, though a conclusive photomatch was not determined.

The sneakers are accompanied by a letter from the Chicago Bulls stating that these shoes were game worn by Michael Jordan during the 1997-1998 NBA season. 

“The Last Dance”

“The Last Dance” as it’s called, was Michael’s final season with the Chicago Bulls (1997-1998) and is perhaps the most beloved period in Jordan folklore, as Michael reached the apex of his popularity and powers while simultaneously conquering major internal divisions that were fracturing the team dynamics of the late 90s Chicago Bulls. The season is referred to as The Last Dance due in large part to the smash-hit ESPN documentary by the same name, which chronicled the Bulls efforts in the 1997-1998 season. The players were cognizant that the Bulls franchise would ultimately be disbanded at the end of the season and as such, knew it was their final opportunity to capture a 6th Bulls Championship. The Last Dance was Michael Jordan’s ‘magnum opus’ as an athlete – a testament to him as a competitor, a sportsman, a teammate, and ultimately, a champion.

Diving Deeper – The Dynamics of the 1997-1998 Season

There was no love lost between Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause. Jerry – who had an undeniable talent for picking winning teams and players – did not get along with the key people who made the Chicago Bulls so dangerous: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson. This division ultimately hit a breaking point when Krause mandated that Phil Jackson’s last season with the Bulls would be the 1997-1998 season. As Jordan refused to play for anyone but Jackson, Krause’s move ultimately broke apart the dynasty-winning Bulls, and imbued the 1997-1998 season with a sense of finality and urgency.

Jackson recalled being told the news: “Jerry called me into his office and said, 'This is going to be your last year, I don't care if you win 82 games in a row, this will be your last year here'.”

"So I said, 'Fine' and walked out of the room, and that was the only words that were exchanged."

Mr. Krause said many things surrounding the 1997-1998 season, among the most disturbing to Jordan specifically was that the team needed to be “rebuilt” and that, “Players don't win championships, organizations do.” A quote Krause later refuted.

In Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech more than 10 years later in 2009, Jordan still seemed irked by Jerry’s words stating, “I don’t know who invited him. I didn’t… he said organizations win championships. I said I didn’t see organizations playing with the Flu in Utah. I didn’t see them playing – you know – with a bad ankle.”

Ultimately, perhaps the tension within the team and the adversity Jordan faced pushed him even further – as it was known to do for Jordan – to his sixth NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls.

The Air Jordan XIII

Michael Jordan’s skill and creative playing abilities put his opponents on their backfoot, earning him the nickname the ‘Black Cat’. He could outmaneuver just about anyone who crossed his path. As Jordan Brand states on their website, “Inspired by a panther’s predatory nature, Tinker [Hatfield] harnessed its tenacity to create the Air Jordan XIII. The shoe featured an unconventional holographic eye and an outsole resembling a panther paw.” The innovations featured on the model were intended to give players the “agility of a cat.”

To this day, the Air Jordan XIII is one of the most nostalgic and popular designs ever released by the Jordan Brand. This particular silhouette was additionally made famous by its feature in the Spike Lee-directed film, He Got Game. The film featured Denzel Washington, who plays a prison inmate sent on a mission to convince his son to play for the Warden’s alma mater in exchange for a shorter sentence. In the movie, Denzel’s character, Jake, goes shopping for a pair of sneakers and immediately asks for the “new Jordans”, and is presented with the Air Jordan XIII. Colloquially, the white and black Air Jordan XIII model often goes by the nickname ‘He Got Game.’