Historic Michael Jordan debut photo fetches jaw-dropping $175,000 in record-breaking auction sale

Another Michael Jordan memorabilia broke a record at a recent auction. A photo from his NBA debut on Oct. 26, 1984, at the old Chicago Stadium against the then-Washington Bullets sold for $175,000.

According to Rich Mueller of Sports Collectors Daily, the photo graded as PSA Type 1 became the most expensive photo of Michael Jordan ever sold. The auction was brokered by Goldin Auctions, and many experts believe that the sale will help the hobby of photograph collecting.

"True original Type I photos are still extremely undervalued when compared to other segments of the hobby," Principal Authenticator of PSA Photo Authentication Services Henry Yee said.

"Compare that to a six-figure Jordan debut ticket stub in which all 13,000 fans in the building received one. It was simply used for its practical purpose in the newsroom to tell a story."

For those wondering what a Type 1 photo means, it's a first-generation photograph. It was developed from the original negative within two years of the image being taken.

The record-breaking Michael Jordan photo was taken by Don Bierman for the Chicago Sun-Times. The size of the image is 8×10, and it has a Chicago Sun-Times stamp on the back. There are also several editorial remarks, which meant it was used in a newspaper.

The recent sale broke the record held by another Jordan photo from his debut that was sold for around $141,000 earlier this month. It was brokered by Lelands Auctions, and there were 71 bids for it.

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Michael Jordan's NBA debut

Michael Jordan was drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. There was hype behind Jordan, who was a junior out of the University of North Carolina.

MJ made his NBA debut at home on Oct. 26, 1984, against the Washington Bullets. He ended with 16 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and four blocks in the Bulls' 109-93 win. He struggled from the field, going 5-for-16 and had five turnovers.

Nevertheless, it was still an impressive first game for the future greatest player of all time. Jordan ended up winning the 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year and broke the playoff scoring record in his second season with 63 points against the Boston Celtics.

"His Airness" began taking over the league in the late 1980s and became a worldwide phenomenon after helping the Bulls win their first NBA championship in 1991. He won six NBA titles in a span of eight years.