Over 30 years after Karl Malone played in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona with the “Dream Team,” he has profited off of the sports event.
The former NBA player auctioned off 24 pieces of memorabilia on the Goldin marketplace, including game-used jerseys and sneakers from the 12 team members, which brought in $5 million, ESPN reports.
A majority of the earnings came from Michael Jordan’s No. 9 white jersey that he wore during the semifinal win against Lithuania, the outlet details. The selling of the jersey broke the record for any game-used Olympics Jordan item at just over $3 million. What’s more, Jordan’s game-worn sneakers from the 1992 Tournament of the Americas went for $420,000.
Additional items included semifinal jerseys worn by other team members that sold for $360,000 (Larry Bird); $336,000 (Magic Johnson); and $230,400 (Charles Barkley).
The Goldin auction came after Malone initially displayed the collection at one of his car dealerships in Utah.
“It was truly remarkable to have been able to work with Karl Malone himself to offer this iconic collection to fans everywhere,” Goldin Executive Chairman and Founder Kevin Goldin said, according to the outlet. “Now a lucky few own a piece of revolutionary sports history from some of the greatest players of all time.”
Another 1992 Olympics memorabilia sale is on its way. As previously reported by AfroTech, a jacket worn by Jordan with the Reebok logo will be auctioned by Sotheby’s. Jordan was reluctant to put the jacket on at the time as he was under contract with Nike.
He gifted the jacket to Brian McIntyre, an employee of the NBA’s communications department who went on to later work as an advisor to former commissioner David Stern. McIntyre was an attendee of the ’92 Olympics medal ceremony, where Jordan won a gold medal and handed him the clothing, which he later signed.
“He said, ‘I certainly don’t want it,’” McIntyre shared.
Said to potentially fetch as high as $3 million, the auction for Jordan’s jacket will run until June 28.
