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Sports Illustrated (1989)
PSA 9.2 - Newsstand Michael Jordan
POPulation Report: 9 w/20 graded higher
$
1000
3 Yr. Sold Price Range: $227 - $620
This May 15, 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated captures Michael Jordan in playoff mode during the 1989 Eastern Conference First Round against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Graded CGC 9.2 (Off-White to White Pages), the cover photo reflects Jordan’s aggressive scoring style as he drove to the basket in one of the most intense early postseason battles of his career.
Any Jordan Sports Illustrated cover is collectible — it’s why this surge in magazine collecting is real. Ask some folks and they’ll say LeBron James has a stronger case for GOAT — but hey, that generational fight is the hobby’s favorite long-burn debate, and covers like this are part of why it matters.
Cover Athlete: Michael Jordan
Publisher: Time Inc.
Issue Date: May 15, 1989
Cover Price: $2.50
In the 1989 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls, seeded 6th, knocked off the 3rd-seeded Cavaliers in a dramatic best-of-five series, winning 3–2. The series included “The Shot” — Jordan’s legendary buzzer-beater to win Game 5, 101–100, over Craig Ehlo at the Richfield Coliseum. That defining moment helped propel Chicago deeper into the postseason (where they would eventually lose to the 1989 NBA champs Detroit Pistons) and added another clutch chapter to Jordan’s legacy.