NEW YORK — A picture is sometimes worth a thousand words, but one taken of the best player in Bulls’ history is worth a lot more than that.

At least that’s the case at the 2023 Lelands Classic Summer Auction, which closed on August 5, where a picture of Michael Jordan netted some big money at auction.

This PSA Type 1 photograph of Jordan from his rookie year sold for $141,954 from a buyer who wanted this piece of memorabilia from the six-time NBA champion and five-time regular season MVP.

It’s from his first game against Washington on October 26, 1984 at Chicago Stadium, showing him dribbling up the court with his tongue hanging out. The photograph was taken for the Chicago Sun Times.

Jordan would score 16 points with seven assists, six rebounds, and four blocks in 40 minutes of action that night in the first of 1,072 regular season games. It was Orlando Woolridge who would lead the charge for the Bulls that night, scoring 28 points in a 109-93 win.

Along with this picture, two of Jordan’s yearbooks from Laney High School in North Carolina were also sold in the Lelands Classic Summer Auction. His junior year edition sold for $637 while a signed senior year copy went for $4,555.

Jordan’s memorabilia continues to remain popular 25 years after he won his final championship with the Bulls and 20 years since his last NBA game with the Wizards. Popularity has only grown since the release of “The Last Dance” in 2020, which documented the 1990s Bulls’ dynasty.