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Michael Jordan’s controversial Reebok Dream Team jacket sells for $1.5 million
Michael Jordan’s career-long partnership with Nike has been well documented over the past 40 years as his Nike sneakers and apparel continue to set memorabilia records on the sports collectibles market.
In 1984, Jordan signed a long contract with the sports apparel giant to produce his own signature line of sneakers and apparel, paving the way for the mega sneaker and apparel deals that are common in today’s sports world. The deal became one of the most valuable in sports marketing history, generating sales of nearly $100 million in 1985 and climbing to more than $5.1 billion in 2022.
As a result, Jordan became incredibly loyal to the Nike brand — so much so that he wanted no part of Reebok when the rival brand produced the uniforms for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.
Jordan famously covered up the Reebok logo on his Olympic Team USA warm-up jacket when the U.S. was awarded the gold medal after winning the 1992 games in Barcelona.
Jordan’s controversial Reebok jacket sold for $1.5 million Wednesday in a one-item auction at Sotheby’s. The jacket was estimated to sell for $1-$3 million.
The sale came one month after Jordan's 1992 Dream Team jersey sold for $3 million as part of the Karl Malone Collection at Goldin Co.
Sotheby’s called the jacket “perhaps the most important ‘Dream Team’ item to ever surface publicly” and “potentially the most controversial.”
The jacket was given to former NBA Public Relations executive Brian McIntyre, who consigned it to Sotheby’s. It is in its original condition, with safety pins covering the Reebok logo. Jordan also famously draped an American flag over the jacket to cover up the Reebok logo during the gold medal ceremony.
According to a 1992 Sports Illustrated article, Jordan tossed the jacket to McIntyre after the ceremony and said, “I certainly don’t want it.”
Jordan then signed the jacket and inscribed it to McIntyre. It was photo-matched by MeiGray and authenticated by JAS.
A pair of Nike Air Jordan VII sneakers that Jordan wore during the Olympics was also consigned by McIntyre and sold during a separate Sotheby’s auction for $114,300.
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