Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, if not the single greatest player to ever play basketball. Former LeBron James teammate Ray Allen came out and admitted the same recently, as have multiple NBA players from across eras. These players do this because what MJ achieved on the court is unquestionable.
Jordan was a trailblazer in the NBA, not only changing how players approach the game on the court but off the court as well. His exploits in the sneaker industry fundamentally changed how valuable NBA players were to shoe companies, and now, players like Stephen Curry and LeBron have billion-dollar shoe contracts.
All the trailblazing had to start somewhere, and it started on October 26, 1984, as MJ made his NBA debut against the Washington Bullets. He scored just 16 points in a win, but tickets from that game have become extremely valuable due to it being Jordan’s first NBA game. 2 tickets from that game are being auctioned off by Bonham’s auction house for an estimated price between $200,000-$300,000.
Starting today, a pair of tickets from Michael Jordan's debut NBA game (OCTOBER 26, 1984) is going up on the auction block.
"This is the first time that a pair of red and black Michael Jordan debut ticket stubs have ever been offered at auction." pic.twitter.com/6hy22CMegk
— Sportico (@Sportico) September 19, 2022
Michael Jordan’s Iconic Rookie Season
Ever since ‘The Last Dance’ aired in 2020, the price of Jordan collectibles has gone up immensely. The ticket price for MJ’s first game reflects that as a ticket that could have been bought for single-digits in the 1980s and is now selling for 6 figures.
Jordan’s rookie season was arguably one of the best the NBA has ever seen. He averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.4 steals in a statline that very few NBA players can manage in their prime, let alone as rookies.
Jordan would evolve into one of the greatest to ever play the game and become one of the highest profile athletes of all time. Even if the Bulls were not a good team when Jordan got there, he made everyone realize that the Bulls are going to be the team to beat the second he refines his game and has some help around him. The rest, as they say, is history.
