Six unpaired Michael Jordan sneakers sell for US$8 mn

NEW YORK: Six single Nike Air Jordans, worn by the eponymous basketball star in the 1990s, sold Friday for a record US$8 million, according to auction house Sotheby’s.

Michael Jordan gave the separate shoes to Chicago Bulls communications executive Tim Hallam, after decisive games that helped the club win six NBA championships from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998.

The purchase price achieved at auction at Sotheby’s in New York is a record for such an unusual offering — and the second highest ever for Michael Jordan collectibles.

The prices reached for the “Dynasty Collection” “will likely never be replicated”, Sotheby’s boasted in a statement that did not disclose the buyer’s identity.

“Today’s record-breaking price is a testament to the GOAT,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles, using a popular acronym for ‘greatest of all time.’ Last April the company, owned by French-Israeli tycoon Patrick Drahi, auctioned a pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in his last championship final with the Chicago Bulls in 1998 for US$2.2 million.

That was a record for the shoes, ‘Bred’ (‘Black and Red’) Air Jordan XIII, which were signed by the player.

He wore them in Salt Lake City for the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, documented in the Netflix and ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.”

The six shoes sold on Friday were an Air Jordan VI (1991), VII (1992), VIII (1993), XI (1996), XII (1997) and an Air Jordan XIV (1998).

Demand from collectors since 2020-2021 has driven up the prices commanded by such items at auction. The record for the most expensive jersey in auction history is Michael Jordan’s 1998 final shirt, which went for $10.1 million in September 2022.

It leads Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s World Cup quarterfinal shirt from his side’s storied clash against England in 1986, which handily brought in US$9.3 million in May 2022.