The basketball nice wore the “Bred” Air Jordan 13s throughout Sport 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals on the best way to his sixth and final NBA championship title.
The net sale cements Jordan’s place as probably the most worthwhile athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia.
It broke his personal document of $1.5 million for sneakers, set in September 2021.
Final 12 months, one in every of his jerseys bought for $10.1 million, probably the most ever paid at public sale for any game-worm collectibles.
“As we speak’s record-breaking consequence additional proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports activities memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and trendy collectables, mentioned in a press release.
Jordan wore the sneakers for the second half of the Chicago Bulls’ 93-88 victory over Utah Jazz on June 5, 1998. Jordan scored a game-high 37 factors as his Bulls aspect tied the collection 1-1.
The Finals featured within the hit 2020 ESPN/Netflix documentary “The Final Dance,” about Jordan’s remaining season with the Chicago aspect.
Wachter mentioned nostalgia for a unique period was driving the recognition of Jordan memorabilia.
“We’ve got purchasers in all totally different areas, from actual property, to finance to non-public fairness. There are numerous folks which can be on this rising market,” he informed AFP.
The worth, which incorporates charges and fee, got here in simply above Sotheby’s low pre-sale estimate of $2 million however effectively under the anticipated excessive of $4 million.
The public sale home mentioned Jordan had autographed the footwear and given them to a ball-boy after the sport.
Sotheby’s didn’t determine the vendor however mentioned it was not that authentic recipient. Nor did it identify the client of the dimensions 13 shoe.
The sneakers are referred to as “Bred” for his or her black and purple coloration, a mode Jordan wore all through most of his trophy-laden profession.
Jordan, now 60, spent the majority of his enjoying profession with the Bulls, with whom he gained all six of his titles, however got here out of retirement in 2001 to play two seasons with the Washington Wizards.
The retired star now owns the Charlotte Hornets, situated in his childhood residence of North Carolina, and reportedly nonetheless earns thousands and thousands in royalties annually from gross sales of Nike’s Air Jordan model of sneakers.
Tuesday’s sale coincided with the discharge this month of the film “Air,” about Nike’s pursuit of Jordan.
The $10.1 million sale of Jordan’s jersey from Sport 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals in September 2022 beat a document held by Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” Argentina jersey.