It’s difficult to reconcile today, as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls are now remembered as an NBA dynasty, but when Jerry Reinsdorf and a group of investors bought a controlling stake in the team for $9.2 million in 1985, the team used Angel Guardian Gym — a former orphanage — as its home practice facility.
Corrine Zartler began working as a public relations assistant for the Bulls in December 1983, reporting to longtime PR director Tim Hallam. One day in October 1984, prior to Jordan’s official NBA debut, Zartler was tasked with bringing a Bull’s jersey to the rinky-dink practice facility for a commercial shoot.
After the shoot, the plan was to retrieve the jersey from Jordan and return it to the equipment manager.
Unlike today, when players might wear multiple jerseys in a single game, this was far from the case back then. As Zartler writes in a letter of provenance, “You see, back then, we did not have a whole equipment room full of jerseys. The players had a road uniform and a home uniform — that was it!”
For this reason, it was crucial the jersey be returned following the shoot.
Per Zartler’s account, she gave Jordan the jersey once she arrived at the facility. After the shoot, he went to shower, and the jersey was returned to her in a practice bag. Once she reached her office and handed the jersey over to her boss, Hallam retrieved it from the bag, noticing black marker had tarnished the bottom of the jersey.
Someone must have dropped a marker inside the bag — perhaps one being used for autographs.
“My boss looked at me and just shook his head,” Zartler recounted. “He said the jersey was useless and handed it to me. He said he would go call the uniform shop and order a new one right away.”
Not thinking much of it, Zartler brought it home to her mother, who washed it and got most of the stains out.
Only years later did she realize the sharpie-stained jersey was possibly the earliest player-worn Jordan Bulls jersey.
RELATED STORIES:
- Tickets, shoes and a $13 million card: Michael Jordan soars at Heritage Auctions
- Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant Logoman sets record as most expensive card ever
- Two Michael Jordan NBA debut tickets sell for combined $469,700
- 'Finest Jordan rookie on the planet' sells for $463,600
Since the exact date and content of the commercial is not known, it is not clear whether the jersey holds the crown as the earliest Bulls player-worn Jordan jersey, as Sotheby’s recently sold Jordan’s first preseason Bulls jersey from Oct. 5, 1984, for $4.2 million.
Additionally, what is likely the single-earliest Jordan Bulls jersey (though, it is unclear if it was ever worn), is believed to be his signing day press conference jersey, which most recently sold for $513,985 from investment platform Rally.
What is known, however, is this is the same jersey which Jordan donned on the cover of the cover of the 1984-85 Chicago Bulls yearbook as well as the January 1985 issue of Hoop Magazine.
In October 2020, the jersey sold at Heritage for $144,000.
Five years later, following a boom of unprecedented proportions in the Jordan jersey market, it returns to the auction block, this time at Goldin. Early bidding has already surpassed the 2020 total, reaching $396,500, including buyer’s premium, with more than two weeks remaining at auction.
The Goldin lot is also accompanied by new information tying it to the "A whole new breed" Chicago Bulls television commercial, which first aired Jan. 5, 1985.
Goldin claims in its lot description, “as it currently stands, this is the earliest known Chicago Bulls home basketball jersey worn by Michael Jordan, which very well might predate his NBA regular season debut on Oct. 26.”
Notably, the original consignor’s boss, Hallam, is a familiar name when it comes to Jordan memorabilia, having played a role in bringing some of the most significant pieces of Jordan jerseys and sneakers to market over the years, both directly and indirectly.
The “Dynasty Collection” is among those items, featuring one sneaker worn in each NBA Championship-clinching game by Jordan, which fetched $8 million in 2024.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.