A pair of shoes that Jordan wore in the 1998 NBA Finals between the Bulls and the Jazz is about to reach the record millionaires at auction

Between 2 and 4 million dollars. This is the stratospheric value of the air jordan xiii what did you use Michael Jordan in the Finals of NBA of 1998, in what was the last performance of his famous Last dance which inspired the docu-series on Phil Jackson’s phenomenal and incomparable Chicago Bulls. He gave them to a ball boy in Salt Lake City after playing with Utah Jazz. A quarter of a century later, the piece, signed by MJ, can break all the records of the New York auction house Sotheby’s.

It is the only complete pair of shoes worn by Jordan in his six NBA Finals available on the market. Two years ago, a pair of Nike Air Ships worn by MJ in 1984 went up for nearly $1.5 million at auction. The Air Jordan XIII can multiply that figure by more than two.

Auction houses rub their hands on these collectibles. Christie’s has opened its own dedicated section, ‘Department X’ to capitalize on demand. The shoe market is skyrocketing at all levels. Footwear resale is a growing business.

From airships to Air Jordan XIIIs

The previous auction sale record dates back to 2021, when Sotheby’s sold the Nike Air Ships used by Jordan in 1984 regular season games to collector Nick Fiorella for $1,472,000. It was the first time that a sneaker was put up for auction. auction for more than a million dollars.

The red and white shoes were worn by Jordan in the fifth game of his first season in the NBA as a Bulls player, in 1984, and are autographed by himself.

Earlier, in 2020, a Nike Air Jordan 1 High worn by the basketball legend in 1985 fetched a Christie’s auction price of $615,000.

unique slippers

The legend behind these shoes doesn’t just have to do with Jordan’s magnificent performance at the Delta Center, when, with his Bulls down 0-1 in the series and forced to win game two, ‘MJ’ signed 37 runs to tie the series and return to Chicago.

In a workout on the eve of that duel, played on June 5, 1998, Jordan forgot a coat at the Delta Center and a ball boy who found it returned it to him in the locker room.

To thank him for that gesture, the next day Jordan gave the boy his shoes and signed them with a sharpie. The Jordan signatures are still clearly visible on the shoes, which are in excellent condition.

guarantee of authenticity

Pieces of this value have a certificate of authenticity provided by the company “The MeiGray Group”who collaborates with the NBA analyze and verify that it is not fraudulent.

The Air Jordan XIII from Game 2 of the 1998 Finals are the only “MeiGray” certified ones. It’s also, according to Sotheby’s, the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in all six of his Finals.

This model of sneakers is in itself a very coveted collector’s item in the market, designed by Nike to look like a pantherone of many nicknames for ‘MJ’.

In particular, the sneakers feature a holographic eye on the back and the sole is made to resemble a panther’s paw.

And if the passion for iconic sneakers is within the reach of a few millionaires at auction, many aficionados are willing to spend more than $300 to buy that same model, new, for resale.

On March 11, the Nike website was overloaded with user fever for the release of the black and white Nike Air Dunk Low “Panda”. The retail price in the US was $110, but on resale platforms like “StockX” these shoes are being resold for over $300.

By Andrea Montolivo // EFE