He’d been an excellent college player but in October of 1984, no one could have predicted the heights to which Michael Jordan would eventually rise. A glimpse into the earliest days of his NBA career is on the auction block this month.
Our RMY Auctions Photo of the Day is a fresh-to-the-hobby image of the Chicago Bulls’ rookie guard, taking a breather during his fourth professional game. Taken by legendary photographer John Biever of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the photo is from the October 13, 1984 pre-season contest between the Bucks and Bulls at the Milwaukee Arena.
The 8×10 photo includes various dates and clippings on the back from usage as well as a photo library stamp but remains in excellent condition. Bidding has quickly passed $500 with the auction set to run through June 21.
Remarkably, just a few days earlier, the Bucks and Bulls had met in another pre-season contest—this one played at East Chicago High School. Years ago, it was common to see NBA teams playing in college or high school arenas in an effort to reach out into the community and perhaps as a cost-saving measure in some cases. Few recall that Jordan’s first pro game was actually played in a high school gym. The contest in Milwaukee actually marked Jordan’s first game in an NBA arena setting.
The Bucks and Bulls would meet again in the 1984-85 NBA playoffs, with Milwaukee ending MJ’s first season in the best-of-five first round series.
It became obvious as the season progressed that the Bulls had gotten the best player in the draft. The 21-year-old Jordan finished the regular season as the Bulls’ leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals.
The Jordan photo is among over 1,200 lots available in RMY’s Premier auction.
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