A pair of Air Jordans worn by Michael Jordan in his final championship with the Chicago Bulls is set to break the record for the most expensive sneakers at auction, Sotheby’s said Tuesday.
NBA legend wears iconic Air Jordan 13s in Game 2 of 1998 NBA Finals – Jordan “Last Dance” and final season with the Bulls. In a news release, Sotheby’s called the shoes “an important relic from the height of Jordan’s career” and said they are “the most famous piece of sports memorabilia in existence.”
The auction house said “Historic Air Jordans are the most valuable sneakers to ever hit the auction market, and are poised to overtake the current auction record for a pair of sneakers.”
Sotheby’s
Bidding for the sneakers will begin in April. They are expected to sell for between $2 million and $4 million. Kanye West may beat out shoe sales Nike Air Yeezy 1Swhich sold for $1.8 million, and Jordan’s game-winning Nike Air Ship, which sold $1.472 million In 2021.
The Air Jordan 13s – also known as Bred Air Jordans, short for the black and red color scheme – were released in May 1998, during Jordan’s ongoing postseason with the Bulls. According to Sotheby’s, the sneakers were among the final Air Jordan Brand releases during his tenure with the Bulls.
After losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals that year, Jordan wore the shoe in the second half of Game 2 and scored 37 points to help the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center, Sotheby’s said. After the game, he gave the sneakers to a ball boy who maintained the visitors’ locker room and signed them as a thank you for his service, according to the auction house. Jordan and the Bulls soon won their sixth championship.
Jeff Haynes/AFP via Getty Images
Braham Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collections, said in a statement that items from Jordan’s basketball career continue to attract significant interest.
“Michael Jordan game-worn sports memorabilia has proven time and time again that it can be the most elite and coveted item on the market… Worn in his final year with the Bulls, the iconic Air Jordan is coming to auction this April to excite the collector community and sports fans alike in this most important year for Jordan. Sure,” said Wachter, who endorsed Jordan’s No. 23 jersey
Last year, a jersey worn by Jordan during Game 1 of the 1998 Finals was sold $10.1 million.
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Christopher Brito
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