(New York) A pair of sneakers worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan during his last championship final in 1998 with the Chicago Bulls sold for a record $2.2 million on Tuesday, the company announced. Sotheby’s auction.
They are “the most expensive sports shoes ever sold,” according to a statement from the auction house.
At this price, the former Bulls superstar confirms his status as auction king for collectible sportswear, breaking his own record for sneakers ($ 1.4 million in 2021), while he already holds that of the most expensive jersey ($10.1 million in September 2022).
These Bred (for “Black and Red”) Air Jordan XIII are emblematic of the last final won by the Chicago franchise with Michael Jordan, in 1998, against the Utah Jazz.
The player had worn them during the second match of the final, on the floor of Salt Lake City, an episode recounted in the hit documentary The Last Dance, released in 2020 on Netflix and ESPN. Despite stands largely acquired at the Jazz, the Bulls had 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 meeting to a ballboy, but the latter was no longer the owner at the time of the sale. Sotheby’s did not immediately release any information about the seller or the buyer.