Back in late February to early March, Sotheby auctioned off The Dynasty Collection, which celebrated Michael Jordan’s championships by way of shoes. Following, the auction house auctioned off a game-worn pair of the Air Jordan 13 ‘Bred’ from the second half of Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The shoes went for an incredible $2.2 million.
The shoes are the original Air Jordan 13 ‘Bred’ that Michael Jordan wore during Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals when the Chicago Bulls took on the Utah Jazz. From Sotheby, the ball-boy responsible for the visitors’ locker room, received a gift from MJ. The ball-boy had seen Michael during an earlier practice and found his lost jacket. After returning the jacket to Jordan, he said, “Can I get your kicks after the game tomorrow?” Michael, having given pairs to the same ball-boy during prior visits, took his sneakers off in the locker room after Game 2, signed each sneaker, and handed them as a thank you for his services.
The bidding for the Air Jordan 13 ‘Bred’ from the 1998 NBA Finals ended yesterday. The final result of the action was a record-breaking $2.2 million. Sotheby has confirmed that this was the highest publicly recorded price for the sale of a pair of sneakers.
“Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations. Sotheby’s is extremely proud to hold the world record for most valuable game-worn sports memorabilia at auction and the most valuable sneakers ever sold, both of which – to no surprise – are directly tied to the global icon, Michael Jordan,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said.
