Valentine's Day Special: Michael Jordan's ultra rare No. 12 Bulls jersey goes on sale
The No. 23 has become synonymous with Hall of Famer and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Several NBA players wear No. 23 in honor of Jordan and his Bulls jersey remains a top seller.
Jordan, however, did wear two different numbers during his iconic career. He wore No. 45 when he returned to the Bulls in 1995 after a brief retirement. But Jordan switched back to No. 23 later that season and continued to wear the number for the rest of his career.
However, in a Valentine's Day game against the Orlando Magic during the 1989-1990 season -- before he even wore No. 45 -- the Bulls great was forced to wear the No. 12. It was the only instance he donned a jersey number outside of 23 and 24. And interestingly enough, Jordan's name wasn't even on the back of the jersey.
Here's how the story goes: Somehow Jordan's game jersey went missing and without a replacement No. 23 top, the Bulls had to give him the only jersey they had available before the game, which was a non-specific No. 12. The number change didn't make much of a difference to Jordan, as he scored 49 points but the Bulls still lost, 135-129.
In honor of that moment in Jordan's career and because of Valentine's Day, throwback retailer Mitchell & Ness are selling authentic No. 12 Bulls jerseys, which retail for $300. Just like Jordan's No. 12 jersey, it doesn't even have his name on it.
And while $300 may seem like a lot, especially since the jersey doesn't even have Jordan's name on it, hardcore Bulls fans will definitely be interested in the one-of-a-kind memorabilia.
(H/T: Uproxx)