Hall of Famer Michael Jordan put together an illustrious NBA career that spanned over 15 seasons. Along the way, Jordan experienced a tremendous amount of success on the court that has helped earn him the recognition as being arguably the greatest player in league history. That has also raised the value of any memorabilia involving him through the roof in many instances. It was once again the case regarding the hardwood floor for Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals that drew a hefty buying price from Upper Deck to acquire the piece of history.

Michael Jordan’s final NBA title

During the 1990s, Jordan was the guiding force to the league’s most dominant team during the decade.

Although he retired in the middle of the Bulls’ two three-peats, it didn’t take away from his utter dominance when he was on the court. Jordan continued to play at an elite level in his first comeback to the NBA as that netted the final three championships of his career.

That was capped off by earning the 1998 NBA title in what was another memorable series against the Utah Jazz. The Finals went to six games with Game 6 going down to the wire in the final seconds that was ended with a game-winning free-throw line jumper by Jordan to seal the series.

It didn’t turn out to be the final game that Jordan would play in his illustrious career but was the last game with the Bulls that ended on the highest of notes.

Upper Deck purchases Jazz court from 1998 NBA Finals

The Bulls win in the 1998 NBA Finals created another lasting iconic moment for Jordan’s career, which led much value being placed on anything involved with that contest or series.

With that in mind, trading card company Upper Deck went the route of purchasing the Game 6 hardwood floor at the Delta Center for a whopping $1 million back in October 1999, according to Judd Tully of Cigar Aficionado.

The Utah Jazz home court that hosted Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan’s last game sold to trading card manufacturer Upper Deck for a reported $1 million in a private sale brokered the same year.

That has remained the largest selling price on any memorabilia in reference in Jordan over the years. It’s quite remarkable that Upper Deck went the extremely length of purchasing the entire floor that has timeless value to it. At the time, it was still believed that Jordan had played his final NBA game.

It’s still unclear what the company did with the hardwood floor, but it’s a crazy purchase for any business let alone any person to do. There have been many purchases of pieces of hardwood floor to patches of grass in other sports, but never the entire field or court. All of that only goes to show the tremendous value, admiration, and respect that Jordan has garnered over the years from his illustrious career.

Michael Jordan’s legacy

There may not be another purchase that tops this price, but it’s another prime example of the value and legacy that Jordan has left with his performance on the court.

He put together a career that earned him the strong argument that he’s the greatest player in NBA history while potentially being the most impactful in all sports. Jordan inspired many to pick up the game of basketball while adopting his mindset and approach the craft.

He has been a significant influence on many of the game’s all-time greats after him, such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Allen Iverson, among the many others. There simply won’t be another professional athlete like Jordan.