Story at a glance
- A pair of Nike Air Ships Jordan wore during his fifth game in the NBA is going up for auction.
- Sotheby’s estimates the sneakers could go for as much as $1.5 million when the auction kicks off on Oct. 24.
- The shoes were gifted to a former Denver Nuggets ball boy by Jordan in 1984, who held onto the shoes until this year.
A pair of basketball shoes signed and worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan during his rookie season is expected to be the most valuable sneakers ever auctioned off later this month.
Sotheby’s on Friday opened up advanced bidding to auction off a pair of Nike Air Ships Jordan worn during his fifth game in his first season with the Chicago Bulls in 1984.
The auction house said the sneakers are the earliest-known shoes worn by Jordan during the regular season.
Sotheby’s estimates the sneakers could go for as much as $1.5 million when the auction kicks off on Oct. 24.
“The Nike Air Ship is a key part of the Air Jordan brand genesis. When Michael joined the NBA, the Air Jordan 1 was still not ready for him. He preferred sneakers that were lower to the ground, where he could feel the court beneath his feet,” Sotheby’s said on its website.
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“In the process of creating the Air Jordan 1, Nike supplied Jordan a limited number of Nike Air Ships – some of which had ‘Air Jordan’ or ‘Nike Air’ printed on the heels. This pair, featuring just ‘Air’ is an unusual example,” the auction house said.
The shoes were gifted to a former Denver Nuggets ball boy by Jordan in 1984, who held onto the shoes until this year.
In August 2020, a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 High shoes worn by Jordan sold for $615,000, setting the record for most expensive sneakers ever sold at auction. But the shoes won’t be the most expensive pair ever sold. A pair of Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes the rapper premiered at the 2008 Grammy’s sold for $1.8 million in a private sale.
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