NEW YORK-. Six different sneakers Nike Air Jordan that the American basketball legend wore in the 1990s Michael Jordan reached $8 million at auction this Friday, a record for this unique lot, according to the casa Sotheby’s.
These are six disparate sneakers that Jordan had given to Chicago Bulls communications executive Tim Hallam after each of as many decisive games that allowed the club to win six NBA championships from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998.
The eight million reached represents a record for this atypical lot, after another reached by sports collectible items that belonged to Michael Jordan.
This “Dynasty Collection” achieved the “peak” of the prices of these sports collectibles, Sotheby’s congratulated itself in a statement without offering, as usual, information about the buyer.
Last April, the auction house of French-Israeli magnate Patrick Drahi auctioned a pair of sneakers that Jordan had worn in the last championship final in 1998 with the Chicago Bulls for $2.2 million.
A record for these Air Jordan XIII ‘Bred’ (‘Black and Red’) sneakers, signed by the player himself.
The star wore them in the second game, held on the Salt Lake City court, an episode collected in the Netflix and ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” (2020).
The six sneakers sold on Friday were the Air Jordan VI (1991), VII (1992), VIII (1993), XI (1996), XII (1997) and an Air Jordan XIV (1998).
Sotheby’s says in its statement that “Jordan was missing a shoe while celebrating with cigars, champagne or phoning friends and family” in each victorious final.
For art auction houses such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Julien’s, buyers’ appetite since 2020-2021 for objects of sporting and musical heritage has sent prices soaring.
The record for the most expensive jersey in the history of auctions is that of Michael Jordan, worn in the 1998 final ($10.1 million in September 2022), ahead of the jersey of Argentina’s number 10, Diego Maradona, used in the quarterfinals against England in the 1986 World Cup ($9.3 million in May 2022).
Source: AFP
