Michael Jordan's famous Air Jordan sold for $152,000 at auction
A pair of basketball legend Michael Jordan's famous Air Jordans from his rookie season has been sold for $152,500 at the auction. The "Gamers Only" auction, conducted entirely online, featured 13 pairs of match-worn basketball shoes from some of the NBA's greatest players, including Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O'Neal. Notably, the Air Jordan 1 were worn by Jordan during his stellar 1984/85 season.
The iconic sneakers of legend Jordan
"The Air Jordan 1s are one of the grails," Josh Pullan, managing director of Sotheby's global luxury division, told AFP. "There's a bit of wear on the toe and around the heels. That gives us a feeling for what happened in the game when they were worn. This pair is from someone who knew Michael Jordan, so they really come with that impeccable provenance."
Air Jordan 1 fetched a record $560,000 last year
The Air Jordan 1 autographed by Michael Jordan fetched a record $560,000 in an online auction last year. The price of these sneakers had eclipsed the value of 1972 Nike running shoes, 'Moon Shoe' ($437,500).
Other shoes that fetched substantial amounts
Among others, Stephen Curry's Under Armour shoes from the 2015/16 season turned out to be the second-most expensive ($20,800). The Golden State Warriors legend was named the most valuable player (MVP) in that season. Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar's Adidas Superstars worn during his 1979/1980 season with the Los Angeles Lakers were sold for $18,030. He emerged as the MVP in the season won by Lakers.
The greatest basketball player of all-time
Jordan, who is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time, has several records to his name. The 58-year-old played 15 seasons in the NBA, having won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan was the first player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player during his career.
The Last Dance
The achievements of Jordan's illustrious career were covered in the American sports documentary, 'The Last Dance'. Directed by Jason Hehir, the 10-part ESPN and Netflix series released in 2020 revolves around his career, covering his final season with the Chicago Bulls in particular. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Non-fiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
