1982 NCAA Finals Ticket Stub Michael Jordan AUTO DNA 10 PSA AUTH

In the 1980s, John Thompson’s Georgetown Hoyas dominated much of the Big East. The 7-foot freshman Patrick Ewing in the paint and Sleepy Floyd and David Wingate rounding out the roster posed a formidable challenge, even for Chris Mullin and the venerable St. John’s squad. Dean Smith and the North Carolina Tar Heels knew a win in the 1982 NCAA Finals against the Hoyas would not come easy. But UNC Junior veteran James Worthy had a secret weapon: Michael Jordan, an athletic freshman out of Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. In his two years on the Laney varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25.4 points per game, 12 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. More importantly, he developed a reputation for his courage under pressure. Jordan had recently turned 19, but he already showed the court poise and confidence of an NBA veteran. The 1982 NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals was held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on March 29. A total of 17.52 million homes tuned in on television (the second-highest audience behind the Magic-Bird NCAA Finals in ‘79), and 61,612 fans attended in person. Superdome employees ripped off the perforated bottom of their tickets as they entered the stadium. As attendees found their seats, it is unlikely any of them recognized what they held in their hands. With 3:20 left in the game, North Carolina held a 59-58 lead. Jordan charged the net from the perimeter and threw up a 12-foot left-handed rainbow layup over an outstretched Ewing that extended UNC’s lead to three. After a Ewing bucket, Sleepy Floyd hit a clutch jump shot with 50 seconds remaining to give UNC a one-point lead. With 17 seconds left and trailing by one, Michael Jordan received the ball on the wing. With the total absence of hesitation or fear that would define his unprecedented NBA career, the freshman immediately launched the shot of his young life. Nothing but net. It proved to be the final points of the game as UNC captured the NCAA title. As Michael Jordan celebrated on the court, fans cheered, and eventually poured out of the stadium, likely discarding their tickets on their way out or once they got home. A select few saved their stubs, perhaps as a keepsake or by mistake. As the search for memorabilia from Jordan’s storied career has grown in recent years, the demand for those surviving tickets has reached Willie Wonka status. PSA has only graded 11 examples of this rare Blue Variation stub. Of the 11, only this Auto 10 example is signed by Michael Jordan. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 11/30/2023.