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Check from 1998 Michael Jordan Casino Visit Up for Auction

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A check made payable to “TRUMP INDIANA, INC” for $15,000.00 while Michael Jordan visited a casino owned by Donald Trump in 1998 is on the auction block.  

 

Jordan’s casino visits, which were prominently featured in the “Last Dance” series with his famous trip to Atlantic City between Games 1 and 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, are well known and this check is believed to be the first casino marker ever to be offered for sale.
 
 
The check is dated to a time when Jordan visited Trump’s casino in Gary, Indiana on February 16, 1998, an outing sandwiched between two Bulls home games against the Pistons on February 15 and Pacers on February 17, both Chicago victories and has been signed on the front by Jordan.
 
The check had been listed on eBay last week by Absolute Memorabilia, a company based in Northwest Indiana.  Owner Peter Kiefor told us at the time that “the marker is a computer generated check drawn from Jordan’s bank account against his credit line at the Trump Casino.  It is a safeguard against carrying cash.  This particularly marker was paid back by Jordan in chips at the end of the night so it was stamped paid and therefore went uncashed.  Typically, these markers would then be shredded.”

A Trump Casino employee was working there at the time and obtained the marker from Jordan. 

The check was printed at the casino and signed by Jordan who would then be given $15,000 in chips.  If he lost that money, the marker would be submitted as a check and cashed by the casino.  If Jordan won, then he would “buy back” the marker and it would be marked paid and then shredded. 

Bidding was at $6,000 as of Monday.

“The demand for Michael Jordan cards and memorabilia is unprecedented” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions.  “With Jordan being known to be fond of casinos, this signed check is the only known casino marker from him to come up for auction and the added bonus that it was made out to the company owned at that time by President Trump makes this a truly rare and one-of-a-kind piece.”

Another late Jordan addition to the auction is the only game-worn and photo matched Michael Jordan uniform from the Chicago Bulls’ championship season of 1996-97 ever to be offered.

Including both Jordan’s alternate black pinstriped jersey and shorts, it’s expected to sell for more than $250,000. 

The uniform was matched to an April 13 road game against the Detroit Pistons—one of just 13 losses suffered by the Bulls that season.  The jersey comes with a letter of authenticity from the Bulls.

As of Sunday afternoon, the high bid was $100,000.

The Bulls won their second consecutive NBA championship in 1997, their fifth title in seven years. Jordan played all 82 regular season games where he averaged 29.6 points per game

Set to run through Saturday, May 16 at GoldinAuctions.com, the auction includes what the company believes is the largest collection of Jordan memorabilia ever offered in ta single auction with over 70 Jordan-related items, including: a 1986/87 Fleer #57 Jordan Rookie Card graded a GEM MT 10 by PSA; a 1987 Jordan Game Worn Bulls Shooting Shirt (Sports Investors Authentication) and a 2003-04 UD “Exquisite Collection” Emblems of Endorsement #MJ Jordan Signed Game Used Patch Card (#14/15).  

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].