New York, April 12, 2023 – A pair of sneakers worn by NBA superstar Michael Jordan sold for US$2.2 million (RM9.7 million) yesterday, setting a record price at auction for game-worn sports footwear, Sotheby’s announced.
The basketball great wore the “Bred” – a combination of “black” and “red” – Air Jordan XIIIs during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals on the way to his sixth and last NBA championship title.
The online sale cements Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia. It broke his own record of US$1.5 million for sneakers set in September 2021.
Last September, one of his jerseys sold for US$10.1 million, the most ever paid at auction for any game-worn collectibles.
“Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, said.
Jordan wore the sneakers for the second half of the Chicago Bulls’ 93-88 victory over Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998. He scored a game-high 37 points as his Bulls side tied the series 1-1.
The Finals featured in the hit 2020 ESPN/Netflix documentary “The Last Dance”, about Jordan’s final season with the Chicago side.
Wachter said nostalgia for a different era was driving the popularity of Jordan memorabilia.
“We have clients in all different areas, from real estate, to finance to private equity. There are many people that are interested in this emerging market,” he told AFP.
The price, which includes fees and commission, came in just above Sotheby’s low pre-sale estimate of US$2 million but well below the predicted high of US$4 million.
The auction house said Jordan had autographed the shoes and given them to a ball-boy after the game.
Sotheby’s did not identify the seller but said it was not that original recipient; nor did it name the buyer of the size-13 shoe.
Yesterday’s sale coincided with the release this month of the movie “Air”, about Nike’s pursuit of Jordan. – AFP
