Michael Jordan's No. 12 jersey always had an air of mystery to it, and that intrigue could drive demand for a recent release of a replica jersey.

"Someone stole his (usual No. 23) jersey. It still hasn't been found to this day," said Mitchell & Ness marketing head William Warren. The NBA-licensed company released a replica on Valentine's Day, marking the 27th anniversary of the one game Jordan played in the No. 12 jersey.

It was Feb. 14, 1990, in Orlando, Fla., and before the game Jordan's No. 23 turned up missing, apparently stolen. Officials questioned stadium employees and even searched the crowd for a fan with a No. 23 jersey large enough to fit Jordan, but to no avail.

The Bulls' equipment manager found a No. 12 jersey with no name on the back, which may have been used at the time as a practice jersey. Jordan wore it and it became known as the "Valentine jersey."

Jordan scored 49 points against the Magic in a losing effort. After the game, Jordan told reporters it marked his first NBA game playing with a number other than 23.

The $300 replica jersey could be the culmination of an increasing hunger for Jordan jerseys in the marketplace. "I saw popularity in the last three or four years has been probably bigger than ever for authentic reproductions of his jersey," Warren said.

The spokesman declined to say how many No. 12 jerseys have been made or how many had already sold, but did express confidence they would sell out and noted the level of social media buzz before it was released.

"It's one of the most anticipated Michael Jordan releases from Mitchell & Ness since the initial, 48-hour, sold-out release of his No. 45 jersey nearly two years ago. I woke up at 9 a.m., and got to work and was told there was 100 percent sell-through," Warren said.

plthompson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_phil_thompson

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