Pre-season photographs of rookie Michael Jordan are incredibly scarce, with very few ever surfacing at auction. As the final exhibition of the 1984 preseason, this is very possibly, and very likely, the last original photograph taken of Michael Jordan before his NBA career officially began. Before the legend of "Air Jordan" took flight, the Bulls' 1984 exhibition schedule was played before limited crowds at a scattering of neutral and road venues, from his October 5 preseason debut against the Pacers in Peoria to a game at Washington High School in East Chicago, Indiana, the closest the club came to a "home" contest. In all, the Bulls played just seven preseason games that fall, and it was not until the seventh and final one that Jordan finally stepped onto the floor at Chicago Stadium.

That game took place on October 19, 1984, against the Kansas City Kings, and this remarkable one-of-one original photograph was captured that very night by Chicago Sun-Times staff photographer Bob Ringham. The action finds the electrifying rookie, in the Bulls' home whites, knifing between the Kings' Mike Woodson (#42) and Otis Thorpe (#33) as he lunges to cut off the passing lane, showcasing the tenacious defensive instincts that would one day earn him a Defensive Player of the Year Award. Though the Kings, led by former Bull Reggie Theus, won the game 103-89, the night marked Jordan's very first appearance in front of a Chicago crowd. Exactly one week later, on October 26, 1984, Jordan made his regular-season NBA debut on the same Chicago Stadium floor, tallying 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in a 109-93 win over the Washington Bullets.

The reverse is a treasure trove of newsroom provenance, featuring the Chicago Sun-Times "Photograph by Bob Ringham" copyright stamp, the original typed caption slip dated "19 Oct 84" and slugged "Bulls vs. K.C. Kings," Sun-Times date stamps, editor's crop notations reading "JORD," and the affixed published caption noting that it was "Jordan's first game before a Chicago crowd." Editor's crop marks in the margins further attest to its use as a working press print. Encapsulated and certified by PSA/DNA as an authentic Type I original photograph.