Michael Jordan Dunk Photo Headlines Goldin Fall Auction

Michael Jordan slam dunk photo leads Goldin’s Fall Photography Auction

A new NBA season often brings back memories of the game’s biggest stars and signature moments, and Goldin’s Fall Photography Auction is built around exactly that kind of history. The centerpiece is a PSA-certified Type 1 Original Photo of Michael Jordan’s famous foul-line dunk, one of the most recognizable images in sports photography.

The image, captured by Bulls team photographer Bill Smith, shows Jordan soaring through the air during the 1987 and 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contests. Signed by Jordan, the photo headlines an auction that focuses on iconic sports images and milestone moments from across multiple eras.

The auction is scheduled to run through Nov. 4.

Why the Michael Jordan image stands out

Jordan’s dunk contest leap has long been one of the defining photographs of his career and of sports culture more broadly. The image has appeared in countless discussions of the greatest sports photos ever taken, and the auction example adds two important elements for collectors: PSA certification and Jordan’s signature.

As a Type 1 Original Photo, the piece represents an original photograph from the period it was taken, making it especially desirable to collectors who focus on vintage and historically significant photography. The combination of the image, the subject, and the autograph gives the lot broad appeal beyond basketball collectors alone.

Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and other basketball highlights

Goldin’s auction also includes a Sept. 29, 1996 Type 1 Photo of an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform. The image captures Bryant early in his NBA career and adds another major basketball name to the sale.

Another notable basketball item is an Original Type 1 Photo of Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain from his 1945 fourth grade class photo. The image shows a 10-year-old Chamberlain standing far taller than his classmates, offering an early look at one of the sport’s most physically dominant figures.

Together, the Jordan, Bryant and Chamberlain photos give the auction a strong basketball foundation, with each lot tied to a different stage in the history of the game.

Historic sports images across multiple eras

The auction reaches well beyond basketball, with several Type 1 Original Photos tied to some of the most important names and moments in sports history.

Among the highlights is the Type 1 Original Photo that produced the image used for Jim Brown’s 1958 Topps rookie card. That connection to one of the most famous football cards ever made adds another layer of collector interest.

Also included is a Feb. 25, 1964 oversized Type I Original Photo of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X from the “One Night in Miami” image taken after Ali’s victory over Sonny Liston. The photograph captures a major cultural and sporting moment from the early years of Ali’s rise.

Another important piece is a 1946 Jackie Robinson Montreal Royals Type I Original Photo taken one year before Robinson’s historic 1947 MLB debut, the season in which he broke baseball’s color barrier. The photo offers a pre-major league look at one of the most significant figures in sports history.

Rounding out the group is a July 5, 1957 Type 1 Original photo of 16-year-old soccer legend Pelé before his rookie season. Goldin notes that it is the earliest Type 1 image of Pelé wearing a Brazil jersey, making it a significant item for soccer collectors and international sports historians alike.

What collectors will find in the auction

Goldin’s Fall Photography Auction is built around original images that document major athletes, landmark games and defining moments. The sale combines basketball, baseball, football, boxing and soccer material, with each lot tied to a recognizable figure or historically important scene.

PSA-certified Type 1 Original Photo of Michael Jordan’s famous foul-line dunk, signed by Jordan
Sept. 29, 1996 Type 1 Photo of 18-year-old Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform
Original Type 1 Photo of Wilt Chamberlain from his 1945 fourth grade class photo
Type 1 Original Photo used for Jim Brown’s 1958 Topps rookie card image
Feb. 25, 1964 oversized Type I Original Photo of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X
1946 Jackie Robinson Montreal Royals Type I Original Photo
July 5, 1957 Type 1 Original photo of 16-year-old Pelé in a Brazil jersey

For collectors, the appeal of the auction lies in the originality of the photographs and the historical weight of the subjects. These are not simply images of famous athletes. They are original visual records of moments that helped define their careers and, in many cases, the sports themselves.

Original photos remain a major collecting category

Photography auctions continue to draw attention because original photos can connect collectors directly to the source material behind some of the most famous images in sports. Type 1 photos are especially prized because they are original prints from the period when the image was first captured, which can make them more desirable than later reproductions.

In this auction, that collecting category is represented by a wide range of sports and eras. Jordan’s dunk contest image captures the peak of a basketball icon’s athletic brilliance. Bryant’s early Lakers photo documents the beginning of a career that would become one of the most celebrated in NBA history. Chamberlain’s class photo offers a striking glimpse of a future legend before his professional dominance. The Ali, Robinson and Pelé images each preserve moments that extend far beyond the box score or final result.

Goldin’s sale also reflects how sports photography intersects with card collecting. The Jim Brown image used for his 1958 Topps rookie card is a reminder that many of the most famous cards in the hobby trace back to original photographs that now carry their own collecting value.

With the auction open through Nov. 4, Goldin’s Fall Photography Auction brings together some of the most recognizable sports images ever captured, led by Jordan’s signature dunk and supported by a lineup of original photos tied to legends across basketball, baseball, football, boxing and soccer.