12 April 2023 , 18:05
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Michael Jordan ’s sneakers from the 1998 NBA Finals have been sold for an astounding price.
The basketball legend donned a pair of iconic black and red Air Jordan 13s as he led his side to victory in game two of the best of seven series 25 years ago and at auction on Tuesday they sold in New York for an eye-watering $2.2 million (£1.76 million) at Sotheby's in New York.
The NBA star player's iconic number 23 jersey means this year is being referred to as 'Jordan Year' and the famous shoes - in which Jordan registered 37 points, three assists and five rebounds - are the latest piece of memorabilia to fetch a huge price, shattering the 2021 record of $1.47 million set by a pair of Nike Air Ships.
The sporting great has continued to make lucrative amounts of cash after selling gear from his playing days. His game-worn jersey from Game 1 in the same 1998 Series was sold for $10.1 million (£8.1 million) at another Sotheby's sale, making it the most expensive item of worn sports memorabilia.
Prior to the sneakers being sold, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectables Brahm Wachter commented on Jordan’s sought-after memorabilia. "Michael Jordan game-worn sports memorabilia has proven time and time again to be the most elite and coveted items on the market," he said.
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"However, items from his 'Last Dance' season are of a greater scale and magnitude as seen with our record-breaking sale of his Game 1 jersey in 2022." According to a Sotherby’s press release, they are the last pair of black and red Air Jordan 13s that Jordan ever wore on the court for an NBA game, and therefore likely increased its value.
Sotherby's have said the basketball legends' sneakers selling price broke the record set by a previous MJ shoe in 2021 (Sotheby's/PA Wire)Jordan's record-breaking shoes were part of a 'Victoriam' sports memorabilia sale featuring items worn by sporting icons such as Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer.
Jordan’s iconic basketball shoes are in the spotlight for another reason as the film 'Air: Courting A Legend', which tells the story about Nike reaching global status through the NBA legend, hit cinemas last week.
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Jordan wore the iconic shoes in game two of the finals 25 years ago - his sixth and final NBA Championship (JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)Jordan did not feature in the film and was happy to be left out by director Ben Affleck, who plays Nike co-founder Philip H. Knight in the film, and had just a solitary request.
Speaking to NBA, he said: “I was like, ‘Mike, you just can’t get Viola Davis.’ He was like ‘nope’. So I had to get her. Thank goodness she said yes. I was very happy I was able to do that. He didn’t have a whole laundry list. He left it at that. It was important that I honor that.”