A pair of trainers worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan during his last championship final in 1998 with the Chicago Bulls sold on Tuesday for a record $2.2 million, auction house Sotheby’s announced.
These are the “most expensive sneakers ever sold,” the auction house said in a statement on Tuesday.
At this rate, the former Bulls superstar confirms his status as the auction king for collectible sportswear, beating his own record for trainers ($1.4 million in 2021), while he already holds the record for the most expensive jersey ($10.1 million in September 2022).
These Air Jordan XIII Breds (for 'Black and Red') are emblematic of the Chicago franchise’s last Finals win with Michael Jordan, in 1998 against the Utah Jazz.
The player wore them in Game 2 of the Finals on the floor of Salt Lake City, an episode chronicled in the hit documentary 'The Last Dance,' out in 2020 on Netflix and ESPN. Despite a largely Jazz-friendly crowd, the Bulls won 93-88, thanks to 37 points from Jordan.
Sotheby’s had placed the estimate higher, between $2 million and $4 million.
According to the auction house, Michael Jordan had offered the pair after the game to a ball boy, but the boy was no longer the owner at the time of the sale. Sotheby’s did not immediately release any information about the seller or buyer.
