Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ Sneakers Sell for Record $2.2 Million | Basketball News
The Air Jordan 13 sneakers worn by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals have become the most valuable sneakers ever sold.
A pair of sneakers worn by the NBA superstar Michael Jordan sold for $2.2 million, making them the most valuable sports shoes ever sold, auction house Sotheby’s said.
The shoes up for auction were a pair of Air Jordan 13 sneakers that the basketball great wore during the 1998 NBA Finals, known as “The Last Dance.”
The online sale cements Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auction for sportswear memorabilia.
The previous record holder was a pair of Kanye West Nike Air Yeezy 1s that the New York auction house sold for $1.8 million in April 2021.
Jordan wore his sneakers in the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals where he scored 37 points in a game against the Utah Jazz. After the game, the Chicago Bulls superstar shooter reportedly signed and kicked a jazz ball boy who worked in the visitors locker room.
“Today’s record result proves once again that demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and exceed all expectations,” said Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and modern collectibles at Sotheby’s.
The price, which includes fees and commissions, came in just above Sotheby’s pre-sale low estimate of $2 million, but well below the expected maximum of $4 million.
The auction house said Jordan autographed the shoes and gave them to a ball boy after the game.
Sotheby’s did not identify the seller but said he was not the original recipient. He also did not name the buyer of the size 13 shoe.
Another historic day at #SothebysNewYork! Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 13s in the 1998 NBA Finals 2 of the famous “The Last Dance” season sold for $2.2 million, setting a new world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold. pic.twitter.com/myK5uWZVBE
—Sotheby’s (@Sotheby’s) April 11, 2023
The sneakers are known as “Bred” for their black and red color, a style Jordan has worn throughout his trophy-laden career.
Jordan, now 60, spent most of his playing career with the Bulls, where he won all six titles, but came out of retirement in 2001 to play two seasons with the Washington Wizards.
The retired star now owns the Charlotte Hornets, located in his childhood home in North Carolina, and is said to still earn millions in royalties every year from sales of Nike’s Air Jordan brand of sneakers.
Tuesday’s sale coincided with the release this month of the film Air, about Jordan’s pursuit of Nike.
THE Selling Jordan’s jersey for $10.1 million of Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals in September 2022 broke a record held by Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” Argentina jersey.
