Sotheby’s has broken an auction world record with its latest sports memorabilia sale.
The auction house said Tuesday it sold the Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s for $2.2 million at auction, making them the highest publicly recorded price for a pair of sneakers. The sneakers’ price fell within the $2 million to $4 million estimate Sotheby’s originally placed on the item.
“Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles. “Sotheby’s is extremely proud to hold the world record for most valuable game-worn sports memorabilia at auction and the most valuable sneakers ever sold, both of which — to no surprise — are directly tied to the global icon, Michael Jordan.”
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The sneakers are from Jordan’s famed “The Last Dance” season, which was the athlete’s final season with the Chicago Bulls where the team earned its sixth NBA Championship of that decade.
Jordan’s Air Jordan 13s, known as “bred” as a shorthand synonym for “black and red,” is a style the NBA star wore consistently throughout his basketball career. According to Sotheby’s, the NBA would reportedly fine Jordan $5,000 per game when he wore the sneakers because the colors violated the league’s uniform code.
The sneakers, which were part of Sotheby’s Victoriam two-part online auction, follow the sale of Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey auction last September, where the item broke records and sold for $10.1 million, making it the most valuable basketball jersey sold at auction.
The auction comes as Air Jordan and the basketball star have gotten a new wave of interest thanks to the new film “Air,” which chronicles the inception of the Air Jordan brand at the beginning of Jordan’s NBA career.