Michael Jordan Rookie Sneakers Sells For $152,500
A pair of basketball legend Michael Jordan’s famous Air Jordans from his rookie season sold at auction for $152,500 on Wednesday, the star item in Sotheby’s first international dedicated sneaker sale.
Seen as a niche interest 10 years ago, sneakers are now one of the fastest-growing markets at auctions, attracting attention from the general public as well as leading collectors.
The “Gamers Only” auction, conducted entirely online, featured 13 pairs of match-worn basketball shoes from some of the NBA’s greatest athletes, including Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O’Neal.
They went on show beforehand in Geneva and took their place alongside standout jewels, watches and handbags from Sotheby’s Luxury Week of sales in the lakeside Swiss city.
The pair sold — in the Chicago Bulls’ red, white and black — were worn by Jordan during his stellar 1984-1985 debut season.
Jordan, now 58, went on to become a six-time NBA champion and is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
“The Air Jordan 1s are one of the grails,” Josh Pullan, managing director of Sotheby’s global luxury division, disclosed this
“There’s a bit of wear on the toe and around the heels, and that gives us a feeling for what happened in the game when they were worn,” he added.
“This pair is from someone who knew Michael Jordan personally, so they really come with that impeccable provenance.”
The second-most expensive pair in the sale was Stephen Curry’s Under Armour shoes, both signed, from 2015-16 when the Golden State Warriors point guard was named the most valuable player (MVP), for the second straight season.
