A pair of Sneakers once worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan sold for Ksh 294 million ( $2.2m) at auction on Tuesday making them the most expensive shoes ever sold.
The signed sneakers, Air Jordan XIIIs, were worn by Michael Jordan during his last championship season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.
Subscribe to Switch TV for more exciting content
The pair of trainers was estimated to fetch Ksh 267 million ( $2m) to Ksh 535 million ($4m) and was among the most expensive Jordan items auctioned.
Read Also: Pep Guardiola Calls on Michael Jordan as inspiration ahead of Champions League Quarterfinal
However, a jersey that Jordan wore at the 1998 NBA Finals sold in 2022 for Ksh. 1.3 billion ($10.1m).
The latest sale seals Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia.
“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 Collectables.
Astonishingly, the previous record for Jordan shoes was Ksh 196 million ($1.47m) for a pair of his Nike Air Ships auctioned in 2021.
Just to keep in mind, Jordan had the size-13 shoes on when he scored 37 points in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals series, carrying the Bulls to a 93-88 victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Bulls went on to win the championship, a story told in the 2020 documentary series “Last Dance” about the megastar’s last season with the team.
It was Jordan’s sixth NBA championship and the fifth time he’d be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
This comes in with Pep Guardiola terming Manchester City as desperate to win the Champions League this season as he pointed at great Michael Jordan and golf legend Jack Nicklaus, claiming they have both tested failures and victories.
Manchester City welcomes Bayern Munich on Tuesday ahead of the quarterfinal amid all the talk about when the club would win its first Champions League title.
Read Also: Champions League: Man City dominates Bayern, Lukaku Cements Inter Win
However, Pep pointed out the two legends as City’s perfect example with golf legend Jack Nicklaus winning 18 majors across a lengthy career, and NBA great Michael Jordan lifting 6 titles in 15 seasons.
Right after the Game 2 victory, Jordan gave the shoes to a ball boy in the locker room as thanks for finding a lost jacket, Sotheby’s auction house says.
The “Bred” Air Jordans – short for “black and red” – are the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in an NBA Finals game to be authenticated, Sotheby’s said.
Jordan wore the first Air Jordan shoe in 1984 during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. The Air Jordan I became available to the general public the following year. To date, more than 30 different models of the Air Jordan have been made.
Read Also: Barcelona drops points after drawing with Girona at home
Jordan won a total of six NBA Finals championships, two Olympic Gold Medals and numerous other accolades.
Subscribe to Switch TV for more exciting content
He is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.
