The Air Jordan 13s that Michael Jordan wore during the 1998 NBA Finals, sold for $2,238,000, making them the most expensive pair of sneakers ever to be purchased at auction. On Tuesday, Sotheby’s revealed the historic sale of the legendary sneakers that Michael Jordan wore during the crucial Game 2 matchup against the Utah Jazz.
Another historic day at #SothebysNewYork! Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s from the famous ‘The Last Dance’ season sold for $2.2 million, setting a new world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold. pic.twitter.com/myK5uWZVBE
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) April 11, 2023
These rare pair of sneakers are the only complete set of shoes Michael has ever worn during a Finals game. The sneakers were verified by the NBAs official authenticator MeiGray, which used photo matching to confirm the sneaker’s authenticity. According to experts, the kicks were expected to generate between $2 and $4 MILLION.
The news comes after the release of AIR, a movie starring Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight, and Matt Damon, portraying talent scout Sonny Vaccar, which tells the story of MJ’s signing with Nike. Thirty-nine years later, a single pair of Jordan’s have sold for almost the full amount of his original contract. – Steve Sijenyi
