Karl Malone collected some amazing memorabilia after the 1992 Summer Olympics from the Dream Team, and this week he collected some big checks for the items
A signed, game-worn Michael Jordan jersey that was personalized for Karl Malone was sold for over $3 million at an auction held by Malone. The jersey, featuring Jordan’s signature and the message “To Karl, good luck,” fetched a significant sum from a buyer. Jordan memorabilia in general performed well at the auction, with a pair of Air Jordans reportedly selling for $450,000.
A One-in-a-Lifetime Auction
The auction, which included various pieces of memorabilia from Malone’s time with the 1992 Dream Team, proved to be successful for Malone. Every jersey was from the Olympic semifinal win over Lithuania. In total, he made over $5 million in sales. Other items that generated substantial interest and money included a Magic Johnson jersey and Larry Bird’s shoes.
Malone also sold the following jerseys:
After Jordan, the following jerseys were also sold in the Malone collection: Larry Bird ($360,000), Magic Johnson ($336,000), Charles Barkley ($230,400), David Robinson ($116,400), Clyde Drexler ($91,200), Scottie Pippen ($80,400), Malone ($58,800), John Stockton ($55,200), Patrick Ewing ($39,600), Christian Laettner ($39,600) and Chris Mullin ($37,200).
Jordan’s Shoes Also Claim a High Price
In addition to the signed, game-worn Michael Jordan jersey, Karl Malone also sold a pair of Jordan’s sneakers from the 1992 Tournament of the Americas. This pre-Olympics tournament marked the beginning of the Dream Team’s journey. The sneakers fetched a price of $420,000 at the auction.
Prior to the auctions, Malone had displayed his collection at one of his car dealerships in Utah. Eventually, he teamed up with Ken
Goldin, the executive chairman and founder of Goldin Auctions, to put the items up for sale.
“It was truly remarkable to have been able to work with Karl Malone himself to offer this iconic collection to fans everywhere,” Goldin said. “Now a lucky few own a piece of revolutionary sports history from some of the greatest players of all time.”
Karl Malone, a Hall of Famer, is best known for his legendary tenure with the Utah Jazz in the 1990s. He formed a formidable duo with point guard John Stockton and played a significant role in establishing the Jazz as a prominent team in the league. Malone concluded his NBA career as the second-leading scorer in league history, amassing an impressive total of 36,928 points.
The 1992 Dream Team is widely regarded as one of the greatest collections of basketball talent ever assembled. Jordan, Malone, Johnson, and Bird were among the 11 future Hall of Famers on the team, which also featured players like Charles Barkley and David Robinson. The Dream Team dominated the 1992 Olympics, winning the gold medal by defeating every opponent, with their closest game being a 32-point victory over Croatia in the gold medal match.
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