Photo: Sotheby's/Tweeter
April 12: A pair of signed, game-worn Michael Jordan sneakers from the 1998 NBA Finals fetched a record $2.2 million on Tuesday, making them the most valuable sneakers ever sold, auction house Sotheby's said.
The Air Jordan 13 "Breds" - short for "black and red" - were worn by Jordan in the second game of the Finals during his final season with the Chicago Bulls, referred to as the "Last Dance".
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Jordan scored 37 points in the game and led the Bulls to a 93-88 win over the Utah Jazz. He went on to win his sixth and final NBA Championship and was named the Finals MVP.
Sotheby's said Jordan gifted the sneakers to a Jazz ball boy after the game as thanks for finding a lost jacket. They were the final pair of Breds that Jordan wore in a game.
They are the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in an NBA Finals game that have been photo-matched and authenticated by the MeiGray Group, the official authenticator of the NBA, the auctioneers added.
The previous record for a pair of sneakers was held by a pair of Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 1s, which Sotheby's sold for $1.8 million in 2021.
Sotheby's also auctioned Jordan's jersey from the opening game of the 1998 Finals for $10.1 million in September 2022, which became the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia ever sold.
