Sneakers worn by Michael Jordan sold for $2.2 million at auction

The sneakers worn by Michael Jordan against the Utah Jazz, in 1998, were sold at auction for more than $ 2.2 million. AP - Bebeto Matthews

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A pair of sneakers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during his last NBA Finals in 1998 with the Chicago Bulls was sold on Tuesday, April 11 for a record $2.2 million, auction firm Sotheby's announced. A record.

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These are the "most expensive sports shoes ever sold," says Sotheby's in a statement. At this price, Michael Jordan confirms his status as the auction king for collectible sportswear, breaking his own record for sneakers: $1.5 million in 2021.

The former Bulls superstar also holds the most expensive jersey – $10.1 million in September 2022 – with the sale of one of those he also wore during his last NBA title in 1998. For these sneakers, a single offer, at $ 1.8 million, had been filed shortly after the start of the sale, which had been taking place on the internet since April 3. With fees and commissions, the total price reaches $ 2,238,000, almost a million more than the previous record for shoes worn in matches.

Carried in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals

These black and red Air Jordan XIII, signed by the player, are emblematic of the last final won by the Chicago franchise with Michael Jordan, in 1998, against the Utah Jazz. The star had put them on during the second game, on the floor of Salt Lake City. In a stadium acquired by the Jazz, the Bulls won 93-88, thanks to 37 points from Jordan.

Sotheby's had placed the estimate higher, between 2 and 4 million dollars. According to the auction house, Michael Jordan had offered the pair after the game to a lucky ball collector, but the latter was no longer the owner at the time of the sale. Sotheby's did not immediately disclose any information about the seller or the buyer.

The sale coincided with the release in American cinemas of Ben Affleck's film Air, about the history of the partnership initiated in 1984 between Nike and Michael Jordan, then a young potential just out of college, thanks to the flair of Sonny Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon. Nearly 40 years later, the association is an empire that recorded $5.1 billion in revenue last year thanks to the Jordan Brand brand alone.

For Brahm Wachter, who heads the streetwear and modern collectibles department at Sotheby's, the player's success at auction is linked to the fact that "many people, when they think of Michael Jordan playing in the 80s and 90s, have a unique nostalgia for this period".

► To discover also: Series – How the sneaker became a golden market

(

With AFP)

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